Harry Potter & the Torch of the Green Flame
by Anna L. Black
Summary: Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts, with new adventures, places, and people. Starts, as always, in the Dursleys' house. Contains OOtP spoilers. READ & REVIEW!
1. The present

**This story is discontinued!! The first 18 chapters are here on FF.net, but I won't continue writing it**.

Disclaimer: Alas, I do not own any of the characters, names or places mentioned in this chapter. Unfortunately, they all belong to J. K. Rowling, Warner Bros., etc…

AN: That's how I see the sixth book. I heard somewhere that its name is going to be "Harry Potter & the torch of the green flame", so I decided to write a fic about it. I hope you enjoy it, so READ & REVIEW!!

This story is dedicated to Sirius Black, R.I.P

HARRY POTTER & THE TORCH OF THE GREEN FLAME

Chapter 1 – The present

It was another sunny day in the town of Little Whinging. All the houses in Privet Drive were as silent as always. Nobody could have known that it was the sixteenth birthday of Harry Potter, who lived in Privet Drive 4. Harry was having a not-so-sweet sixteen. True, his best friends Ron and Hermione sent him great presents (Hermione – yet another book about Quidditch; and Ron – a bag of chocolate frogs, along with a homemade cake from his mother and a few inventions of his twin brothers, Fred and George, who had a joke shop), and even the present he got from his aunt and uncle was better than usually (They gave him, believe it or not, a pencil). Still, Harry's mood couldn't have been worse. The only thing he thought about, when awake, was the loss of Sirius, his godfather. Although he knew that it wasn't his fault that Sirius died, he felt that he could have prevented it, had he been more careful. And, of course, he kept having dreams about Sirius, ever since he'd returned to his relatives' house. But this year, the dreams he had were nothing alike the nightmares that he had during the previous summer. Last year, in his dreams, Harry kept reliving his encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort, and the death of Cedric Diggory. But now, it was different. Strangely, he didn't have a single dream about Sirius falling through the veil in the Department of Mysteries. Instead, every night, Sirius managed to survive his fight with Bellatrix Lestrange, and the dreams always ended in a tremendously happy feeling. This made Harry feel worse when he woke up than he was feeling during the day, because each time, after coming back to his senses and realizing that Sirius wasn't really alive, he suffered more and more. He felt ashamed of dreaming that Sirius was alive, when he'd been gone for a month already. Harry knew that he would give anything to return Sirius to life. He sometimes thought that if it could bring him back, he would have even left Hogwarts, but as Dumbledore once said to Sirius himself, "No spell can reawaken the dead"… So, Harry continued to suffer silently…

The grief didn't make Harry forget what was going on outside Privet Drive. He knew that now, when everybody knew that Voldemort is back, the wizarding world, and especially Harry himself, were in danger. So, since his return to Privet Drive, he actually started practicing Occlumency. After last year, he understood just how important it really was. Each night, before going to bed, he emptied his mind of all thoughts. Harry thought he was really getting better at it. At least, he didn't have any dreams or visions related to Voldemort. His scar sometimes prickled, but he was already used to it, and it didn't really bother him.

The only happy thought that Harry had these days was the prospect of going to The Burrow, to be with Ron, and maybe Hermione too. This summer, their letters were of normal length, and as he read them, he sometimes managed to forget for a while about his grief. He really was looking forward to Ron's next letter, probably telling him when and how he could come to his house.

As the day drew to its end, Harry's mood became worse. He knew that in the night, he'll be dreaming once again about Sirius, who, once again, will somehow escape. Harry dreaded that moment, so he didn't want to fall asleep. He was sitting by his desk, absent-mindedly stroking Hedwig, his snowy owl, as the doorbell suddenly rang. Harry raised his head for a second, but as whoever was at the door couldn't possibly concern him, he continued to stroke Hedwig. A minute passed, and suddenly Harry's uncle Vernon opened the door to his room, obviously in a very bad mood. "Get down, NOW!! There's somebody here who wants to talk to you, and I don't want - anyone of - of - your folk in my house, so hurry!!" he muttered in an angry voice and went out. Harry was stunned. Who could possibly come to the Dursley's house to talk to him? Harry took out his wand – after all, it could be one of the free Death Eaters, and he certainly didn't want to meet one of them here and now. However, when he came down, he had a huge surprise – standing near the front door, dressed in shabby Muggle clothes and carrying a bag, was Remus Lupin – Harry's former teacher in Hogwarts, and the best friend of James Potter and Sirius Black since their school days. Harry liked Lupin, who also was one of the members of the Order of the Phoenix. He was completely amazed seeing him here, standing in the Dursleys' house, waiting for Harry to come down, while the Dursleys eyed him with great dislike. Dudley, Harry's cousin, looked especially scared, as his two previous encounters with wizards ended tragically for him – either with a pig's tail or with a few-feet-long tongue…

"Pr… Professor Lupin? What are you doing here?" asked Harry.

"Let's go outside, and I'll explain everything, Harry," said Lupin and went out to the front yard. Harry followed, feeling a little bit rude – he didn't even greet Lupin… They walked for a minute in silence, and stopped far enough from the Dursleys' house. Then, Lupin finally spoke. "Well, first of all, you know that I'm not your teacher anymore, so you are, of course, free to call me Remus" and he smiled. Harry managed to put a little smile in return, but before he could say anything, Lupin continued speaking.

"And now, back to business – I'm here because we're sure that you would like to spend the rest of your summer with the Weasleys."

"Yeah, of course I would!! Are we going there now?" Harry became really excited, and Lupin's next words turned to be a small disappointment. "No, no, not yet… But it _is_ going to be very soon."

"How are we getting to The Burrow? Are we going to fly again, like last year? Or we're using Floo powder?" Harry's excitement leapt up once again.

"Well, actually, I don't know yet. It is up to Dumbledore to decide how and where you're going, as he knows best how to protect you," said Lupin.

"So I might not go to The Burrow?" asked Harry, puzzled.

"Yes, you might. As a matter of fact, right now, nobody but Dumbledore knows where exactly you'll go. Personally, I think you will come to the Headquarters of the Order, again," Lupin answered. The Order of the Phoenix was a secret organization of wizards who fought Voldemort. Last year, the Order was kept in great secrecy, because the Ministry of Magic didn't believe that Voldemort was back. However, a month ago, the Minister for Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge, saw Voldemort, so now everybody in the magic community knew of his return. Harry thought this must mean the Order wouldn't have to operate secretly anymore, but instead, in cooperation with the Ministry. The Headquarters of the Order were in Sirius's old house, and Harry spent a month there during the previous summer. But now, he felt – no, he _knew_ one thing: He wouldn't go there – he couldn't stand the thought of being in the place where he had been with Sirius for so long, the place where lived Kreacher, the house-elf who was to blame for Sirius's death.

"I… I can't go to the Headquarters… I won't…" he said in an unsteady voice. He just couldn't go there, even if it meant not meeting Ron and Hermione until the start of the school year. Harry was sure that Lupin would object or protest, but surprisingly, he seemed to understand. He suddenly looked sad, and struggled for the right words: "When… We… After…" Finally, he said: "The Headquarters were moved to another place… So it – it won't be a problem…"

Harry felt easier. "Where is it now?"

"Obviously, I can't tell you – Dumbledore is a Secret-Keeper for its location. Actually, I think that when you move there, he would be Secret-Keeper for your location, as well."

Harry's mind was working very slowly. "What… what do you mean?"

"You see, now that everybody knows about Voldemort's return, he has only two goals - regaining his power and support, and…" Lupin's words broke.

"Killing me?" asked Harry, sure of the answer.

"Well, yes… So we have to protect you in the best ways we have. We cannot risk, and let Voldemort or one of his supporters catch you," said Lupin and smiled grimly.

Harry's mind finally seemed to return back no normal. "How will I know when to be ready?" he asked. Lupin thought for a moment.

"I think that you'll have to get yourself ready for leaving the house as soon as possible, even today, and wait for us to come and take you. I believe that it'll be this week, so you won't have to wait for long. And make sure that you tell it to your aunt and uncle, we don't want any troubles with them… We'll have enough troubles with the Ministry…"

"Why? They know that Voldemort is back, what's the problem?" asked Harry.

Lupin sighed heavily. "Now it's the other way around. The ministry is keeping a close watch on you and on any magical activity here… I had to notify the Ministry about my arrival here today, and to go through all kinds of checks… So, if we take you without any notice, they'll track us down, and we don't want it to happen. You see, the Order is still kept in secret, and we don't want anybody in the Ministry to have a slightest piece of information of our whereabouts."

Harry was really puzzled. "But why?" he asked.

"Voldemort had spies in the Ministry once, and he would surely have them again. So we cant take the risk…" Lupin answered.

Now, Harry began to worry. "How do you know that nobody is listening to us now?"

But Lupin laughed. "Before I came here, I cast a spell that prevents other people from hearing what we talk about. So don't worry, it's OK. And now, I think, we'd better return."

They walked back to Privet Drive 4. Harry was already near the next door, when Lupin called him again. "Harry, wait. There's another thing that I want to give you," and he pulled something out of his bag. "Happy birthday!" Lupin gave him a wrapped present and Disapparated with a 'pop' before Harry could say another word. He smiled and went inside. Now, he had to tell aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon that he would be going away in a week's time, and though he knew they definitely wouldn't object, he'd rather disappear without a warning. He hesitated, and then went to his aunt.

"Aunt Petunia?" he said.

"What?" she said irritably.

"I… I'd be leaving the house sometimes this week," he said firmly.

Aunt Petunia raised her head. "How, and where are you going, exactly?"

Harry was surprised to hear a note of anxiety in her voice. "A few wi… ehm, people will come and pick me up. I'm going to my friend Ron's house."

No, he must have imagined it, he thought, as his aunt answered in a perfectly normal voice. "Whatever you say," she said and continued reading the magazine she was holding.

Harry went upstairs to his room. Has he imagined, or has his aunt actually expressed a bit of concern for him? Well, he had more pressing matters to deal with. He had to pack his things, and he still hadn't opened Lupin's present. He unwrapped it, and saw it was a picture. When he turned it over, he gasped. It was a picture, taken almost sixteen years ago, of his mother, who was holding him, his father, Sirius and Lupin. They were all smiling and waving at him. For a moment he felt very sad, but then he smiled and said to himself – it was the best birthday present he had ever got. Harry put the picture on his bedside table, and lay on his bed for a few hours, staring at it, occasionally wiping a tear, until, finally, he fell asleep.

AN: Liked it? Hated it? Tell me what you think, I need to know. Constructive criticism is welcomed, but no flames. As soon as I get a couple of reviews, I'll put another chapter. REVIEW!!!!!!!


	2. OWLs and owls

Disclaimer: What a pity, I don't own any HP characters…….. 

Thanks a lot to my first reviewers: sweet775, Cu-Cu Picachu, Carmel March. Thank you so much!!!! You made my day!!! 

Chapter 2 – O.W.Ls and owls

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For the first time since his return to Privet Drive, Harry had a dreamless night. When he woke up, he felt… different. Obviously, he was still sad, but he was more – more peaceful than before. Lupin's present seemed to help him accept the fact that Sirius was dead. From now on, he knew, he won't be having these nightmares anymore. Harry got up, took out a bottle of ink, a quill, and some parchment, sat at his desk, and wrote:

_Dear Remus,_

_Thank you very much for your present. It helped me a lot. I don't think I can express exactly what I'm feeling about it, but it really made me feel better about everything. _

_I hope that we'll meet soon._

_Thank you, again,_

_       Harry._

It felt really weird writing a letter to Lupin, and even weirder – calling him by his first name. It was a short letter, but he couldn't think of anything else he could write. He sealed the letter and went to Hedwig's cage. She was still asleep, so Harry stroke her gently to wake her up. She opened her amber eyes, and hooted. 

"I need you to take this letter to pro… to Remus," he said. It still felt weird saying "Remus", but he needed to get used to it. He tied the letter to Hedwig's leg, and she took flight. 

After having a small breakfast, during which Dudley managed to eat about 20 pancakes, Harry went up to his room and started packing his belongings. Just as he was putting in his trunk the mismatching socks that he got from Dobby the house-elf two years ago, two owls soared through the open window, carrying a small parcel and three letters. They dropped everything on Harry's bed and flew out of the window. 

Harry picked up the first letter, and saw that it was from Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper and the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. 

_Dear Harry, _

_Happy sixteenth birthday!! I'm enclosing your birthday present. It's a talisman that will protect you. It has great powers, and it'll help you if you ever need it. _

_I'll see you in school on the first of September. _

_Bye,_

_    Hagrid._

Harry opened the parcel cautiously. Knowing Hagrid, this talisman could easily bite his fingers off, but as he looked at it, it seemed to be harmless. It was a silver chain with a matching pendant that held a small and sparkly green jewel. He put it on himself and proceeded to open the next letter, which was from Hogwarts.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_I am pleased to inform you about the results you achieved in your Ordinary Wizarding Levels:_

_Astronomy – Poor_

_Care of Magical Creatures - Outstanding _

_Charms – Exceeds Expectations_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts – Outstanding_

_Divination – Poor_

_Herbology – Exceeds Expectations_

_History of Magic – Poor_

_Potions – Exceeds Expectations_

_Transfiguration – Outstanding_

_You have received 6 O.W.L.s!_

_You now need to choose the subjects that you are going to study during the next two years. Please remember that there are several subjects that require a high O.W.L grade. If you don't have the required grade, you won't be able to take the subject, even if you want to study it. _

_Please send your owl with the list of your chosen subjects not later than the 5th of August. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_      Professor Minerva McGonagall,_

_      Deputy Headmistress._

Harry couldn't believe his eyes. He completely forgot about the O.W.L.s, and even if he had remembered, he'd never expect to get such high grades. His grades allowed him to take all of the subjects he needed to be accepted to Auror training. Except for Potions, that is. Though once Harry wouldn't even dream of getting an 'E' in Potions, now it disappointed him… But he had another letter to open. This one, too, was from Professor McGonagall. 

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_As I had told you during the Careers Advice you had last year, I would help you to take the subjects you need to become am Auror. I talked to Prof. Snape, and managed to convince him to accept you to his Potions class, even though you didn't get an 'Outstanding' O.W.L in Potions. However, you will have to achieve high results in this class in order to continue taking it. Be sure to put enough efforts into it. _

_I am also delighted to inform you that you were chosen as the Griffindor Quidditch Captain. As Dolores Umbridge is no longer **anything** in Hogwarts, you are, of course, no longer banned from playing Quidditch. You will get your broom back on the 1st of September. _

_Yours sincerely, _

_      Prof. M. McGonagall._  

Now, Harry was in the seventh heaven. Not only he could take Potions, but he also was the Quidditch Captain!! When he left school, he didn't even remember about the Quidditch ban imposed on him by that hag Umbridge, or about the confiscation of his Firebolt. Now, it felt – it felt like a dream coming true. Harry laughed at himself for wanting so badly to take Potions. But, as he reminded himself, he _had_ to attend this class if he ever wanted to become an Auror. Even if it meant enduring another two years of Snape's insults. The thoughts of Snape deflated his happy mood a little. But he didn't think about that for too long. He needed to send an owl to Hogwarts, with the list of the subjects he wanted to take. He took a piece of parchment, and wrote:

Prof. McGonagall, The subjects that I want to study are: Defense Against the Dark Arts Transfiguration Charms Potions Herbology 

_Thank you for your help, and for making me a Quidditch Captain._

_        Harry Potter._

Hedwig hasn't returned yet, so he went back to the packing. In the evening, when she returned, he sent the letter with her, and went down to have his dinner.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two days later, a tapping sound woke Harry early in the morning. An unknown owl was outside his window, waiting to get in. He opened the window; the owl dropped the letter on the floor and quickly flew away. Harry opened the letter, which was written in an unfamiliar writing.

 

_Dear Harry,_

_Hi, it's me, Ron. I broke my arm playing Quidditch, so Bill is writing this for me. It is his owl that I'm sending to you. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that we're (Dad and I) coming tonight at 7 o'clock, to take you with us to The Burrow. _

_See you tonight,_

_     Ron._

There was definitely something suspicious about this letter. Remus told Harry that he wouldn't go to The Burrow. Besides, it wasn't possible for them to come and take him without a guard. _And,_ Remus said that taking Harry from the Dursleys' house wasn't so simple, because of the Ministry… It just didn't make sense. Could this be a trap??? 

A\N: I think I'll leave it here, what d'you think? *evil grin* You'll have to REVIEW to find out what happens next! (Actually, I haven't written the next chapter yet, so I don't know when I'm going to update, but I know what's going to happen.)

  


	3. The Torch of the Green Flame

Disclaimer: Bla bla, I DO NOT own Harry Potter or his friends… 

A\N: Well, here it is – the chapter you've been waiting for!!

Thanks to: Carmel March, chiliz, aZn*fame, Eris, XxMazLeonhartxX, hogwartsheir. You all make me sooooooo happy!!

Chapter 3: The Torch of the Green Flame

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Harry scribbled quickly a note to Remus.

_Dear Remus,_

_I just got a letter from Ron, saying that Mr. Weasley and he will come to take me tonight at 19:00. After the things you told me, it seems strange. I never saw before the owl that brought me this letter, and it wasn't Ron's writing. He wrote that he broke his arm, and that Bill was sending the letter for him. Maybe I'm over-reacting, but I still think it's suspicious. What do you think?_

_Yours, _

_    Harry._

After Hedwig flew away, Harry started pacing nervously around his room. Was he being paranoid, just like Mad-Eye Moody? Maybe this letter _was_ from Ron… After all, he _could_ break his arm during a Quidditch game… Especially if he was playing with the twins… But still, hadn't Remus told him that he _wouldn't _go to The Burrow? Harry just didn't know what to think. He continued pacing around the room, waiting for a reply from anybody…

Two hours later, Harry was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Suddenly, he heard noises from downstairs, and Aunt Petunia screamed. Harry jumped off the bed, took out his wand, and opened the door cautiously. Down there, just like a year ago, were standing some members of the Order of the Phoenix – Remus, Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, Hestia Jones and Kingsley Shacklebolt. It looked like they Apparated into the house, because the Dursleys were staring at them, looking completely scared, and Dudley was even shaking. 

"Harry, can you bring the letter you told me about? It's urgent," said Remus, who looked worried. Harry ran back to his room, took the letter, and hurried down to give it to him. Remus looked at the letter, and gasped. "It's – it's Peter's writing," he said. 

"It's – WHAT?!" yelled Harry, while the other members of the Order gasped or cursed. Peter, nicknamed Wormtail, was the one who betrayed Harry's parents, and sold them to Voldemort. He also was the one who put Sirius into Azkaban, by killing 12 people, faking his own death and escaping. In short, he was one of the people whom Harry hated more than anything in the world. And now – now he was faking a letter to Harry. 

"We need to move him out of here, quickly. Have you packed your things?" asked Mad-Eye Moody, who was the first to recover from the shock, and now had his blue eye swiveling in all directions. 

"Yeah, I – I'll go get them," mumbled Harry, feeling very weak. He got back, moments later, carrying his trunk and Hedwig's cage. Hestia Jones was trying to explain something to the horrified Dursleys.

"It's extremely dangerous, you _have_ to come with us," she said.

"We're not going anywhere with freaks like you," spat Uncle Vernon, his face going red, "and nothing you say will change it."

"That's enough, Hestia, if they'd rather be killed, let them stay here," growled Moody, taking Harry's trunk and shrinking it. 

"Killed? What do you mean, killed???" shouted Uncle Vernon, while Aunt Petunia let out a little shriek. 

"He means that Voldemort's supporters are going to arrive here at 7 o'clock tonight, disguised as my friends, and if they don't find _me_ here, they'll just kill you for the fun of it," said Harry, finally realizing what was going on. "Only… I don't get it, how are they planning to disguise themselves as the Weasleys?" he asked, turning to face the wizards.

"It really doesn't matter now," said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep voice, "Alastor, how are we moving this lot?"

"Albus is coming with the torch, it should work on Muggles. I only wish he'd hurry," said Moody. Harry didn't understand what he meant, but just as he was about to ask, he heard another 'crack', and Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Apparated into the room. Aunt Petunia shrieked once again, and Uncle Vernon looked like was going to explode, while Dudley was trying, unsuccessfully, to hide behind the couch.

"Hello, Harry. Good day, Petunia, Vernon," said Dumbledore, and the Dursleys looked even more horrified. "As I'm sure you've understood, we have to move you all from the house, as it's very unsafe at the moment. Alastor, is everything ready?" he asked.

"Almost, we only need Potter's hair for the potion, and we can go. By the way, you know who wrote the damn letter? It's Pettigrew," answered Moody. 

"It doesn't surprise me," said Dumbledore, "and now we need to go. Harry, we need one of your hairs, so we could make a Polyjuice Potion." 

Harry pulled out a hair, and dropped it into the bottle that Moody handed him. The liquid hissed, and turned bright green, like the colour of Harry's eyes. Moody tucked the bottle safely into his robes, and turned to the Dursleys.

"Well, what d'you decide?" he smirked. 

Aunt Petunia whispered something to Uncle Vernon. He looked at her, and whispered something back. They continued whispering for a minute, and finally, Aunt Petunia said, in a trembling voice, "We… where do we need to go?" The moment she said it, it looked like she regretted even thinking such thing. However, she already didn't have any choice, as Dumbledore beckoned the Dursleys to move closer. Dudley was completely white, and looked like he was going to throw up. 

Dumbledore was carrying a metal box, which Harry hadn't noticed so far. He opened it, and took out a torch, about ten inches long, whose flame was emerald green. "This," he said, "is the Torch of the Green Flame. Its effect is very similar to the Floo Powder, but it only transfers you to one specific place – to the current Headquarters, actually. Harry, you will follow Tonks, who'll go first, and then you," he turned to the Dursleys, "will join them. Remus and Hestia will come last. Is it clear?" 

Harry nodded, and glanced at the Dursleys, who were looking more and more terrified with each word. Now, Tonks stepped forward.

"Ok, it's very simple – close your eyes, and put your hand in the flame. It'll take you to the Headquarters. Be careful not to fall in the end," she said. She then put her hand in the flame, and disappeared. Aunt Petunia gasped. Harry stepped forward, looked at Dumbledore, who nodded, and stretched his hand towards the Torch. He started spinning…..

A\N: Well, how was it? REVIEW!!  


	4. The new Headquarters

This is a revised version of chapter 4. I decided to change the last part of the chapter, and drop out the R/Hr bit, 'cause it just didn't fit. Everything else stayed as it was. The fifth chapter is coming soon, I hope. 

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear that I'm up to – oops sorry, wrong line, I solemnly swear that I don't own Harry Potter. At least I own the plot….

A\N: My dear reviewers: THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! There are a couple of personal reviews after the chapter.

Chapter 4: The new Headquarters

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Harry was spinning in the flames, his eyes and mouth closed tightly, elbows tucked in, the familiar cold sensation around his face. Just as he was about to fall, he felt someone catching him. He opened his eyes. Tonks was holding him, standing near the fireplace in a large hall of a large house. The walls around him reminded him of Hogwarts, with its ancient staircases, torches, portraits and statues. He'd never been here before, and yet he felt like he was familiar with the place, like – like it was his home once in the past. 'What is this place?" he asked, while brushing the soot off his clothes. 

"Not now, help me catch your relatives," answered Tonks. 

First came uncle Vernon, nearly falling. Harry caught him before he even realized what happened to him. He was covered in soot from head to feet, and looked absolutely terrified. He wanted to say something, but the words just didn't come out, and instead, he choked, soot flying from his moustache. 

Next came Dudley, who _did_ fall, but as he was very (very) fat, he just looked like a giant ball rolling from the fireplace. He was horribly pale, and his blond hair was all sweaty. He got up, swayed, and vomited. "Urgh," said Tonks, "'Scourgify'." It cleaned up most of the mess, but the polished floor still looked dirty. She moved back to the fireplace, where Aunt Petunia appeared. She, however, didn't fall at all, almost as though she was used to traveling by Floo Powder. She, too, looked very pale, and a bit frightened. Next moment, Remus and Hestia Jones, who was carrying the box with the Torch, appeared out of thin air, both looking relieved.

"Everything OK?" asked Remus. Harry nodded, but Uncle Vernon's expression was of a person who could hardly say _anything_ was OK. "Let's go to the kitchen then, everybody is dying to see you," continued Remus, and led the way to an oak door that led from the hall. Harry followed, but the Dursleys didn't move. Dudley was still shaking. "Come on, you too," said Hestia Jones, and everybody entered the next room. It was a big kitchen, with a long table standing in the middle. Four of the Weasleys were sitting there, drinking Butterbeer, and Molly Weasley was cutting something by the sink. As the door opened, she swooped down on Harry, and hugged him.

"Oh, Harry, dear, it's so wonderful to see you! How are you? Do you want to eat something? Arthur, bring more Butterbeer, quick," she said, without stopping for breathe.

"Mom, leave him alone, he'll be fine, if you won't strangle him," said Ron, getting on his feet.

"Thanks," grinned Harry, "really, I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley, I'm not hungry. Hello, Mr. Weasley," he said to Arthur Weasley, who was handing him a bottle of Butterbeer, "Thank you. Hi Fred, hi George."

"Hi Harry", said both of the twins together. "Want some Canary Creams, maybe, to feel a little… lighter?" added Fred with a grin. Harry, who knew what was the effect of those creams, laughed, "No, I don't feel like becoming a bird right now, but thanks for the concern." 

"Oh, why can't you all just leave him alone? Come on," said Ron, "sit here," and he pointed to the chair next to him. Harry sat down, still grinning, and looked around. Remus was already drinking his own Butterbeer, Hestia Jones went out of the kitchen, and the Dursleys were still standing at the entrance, looking amazed. They seemed surprised at the warm welcome that the Weasleys, especially Molly, gave Harry. Mr. Weasley approached them, smiling. "Go on," he said, "come sit with us." Very reluctantly, the Dursleys sat down at the far end of the table. Just then, the door opened, and Ginny, the youngest Weasley sister, entered. 

"Oh, hi Harry! What's up?" she said, and kissed him on the cheek. Harry was taken aback at first, but quickly recovered and smiled. "Everything's fine, now that I'm here." Dudley was gaping at them, stunned, and so was Uncle Vernon. Harry turned to Remus. "So, what's this all about? And why did you need the Polyjuice Potion?" he asked.

"Well, you already know who wrote you this letter, so you understand that Voldemort is sending his Death Eaters to take you. Mad-Eye is going to drink the Potion, so at first, when they come to your house, they'll think that you believed the letter. But Dumbledore and Kingsley are there too, so, hopefully, they'll be caught. Dumbledore has already spoken with the Ministry, so they won't try to track you, but we're still going to keep you in secret. That answers your question?" answered Remus. 

"Yeah, thanks. What is this place?" Harry asked the next question that was bothering him. 

"It's our new Headquarters, obviously. Oh, that reminds me – you all need to read this," and Remus gave Harry a small note. It said: 

_The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located in the Lewis Mansion in Oxford._

Harry read it, and gave it to Aunt Petunia. "But… how can it be? I saw the place even before I read it…"

"That's because you arrived here with the Torch of the Green Flame. The torch is… attached to this place, let's put it that way. Besides, before you read it you couldn't see most of the Mansion. You didn't have enough time to notice it, but it's true," answered Remus. 

"You probably want to see your rooms," said Mrs. Weasley, both to Harry and the Dursleys (who looked as though they didn't want to see anyone or anything), "let's go, I'll show you where you're staying. Harry, dear, you're sleeping in the same room with Ron, as usual." When she said 'dear', Aunt Petunia twitched, but nevertheless, stood up. Dudley and Uncle Vernon followed. Mrs. Weasley led the way, and Harry, Ron, Remus, and the Dursleys went after her out to the hall, then up the staircase to the second landing. "Now, your room," she said to the Dursleys, "is right here," and she pointed to the door on her right, "and there's a bathroom linked to it." They went inside and locked the door behind them. Harry noticed that from the moment of their arrival to the Mansion, not one of them said a single word. He didn't care much, though, and went to the door in front of him, which was the door to his and Ron's room. Remus also entered, and enlarged Harry's trunk back to normal. "I'll leave you two here, I guess you have a lot to talk about," he said, and went out.

The room was big, with two beds, again very similar to those of Hogwarts. There was also a cupboard, a desk, and a few chairs. Ron's bed was covered in the 'Chudley Cannons' bedspread, and Pigwidgeon's cage was standing on the desk. Harry stretched himself over his own bed, and yawned.

"I'm glad to see your arm isn't broken," he grinned.

"Yeah, lucky me. Listen, what exactly did this letter say? Mom and Dad didn't tell us much," said Ron.

Just as Harry was about to answer, there was a 'crack', and the twins apparated into the room. "Hey, we want to hear it too," said George. 

"How did you know what we were talking about??" asked Ron indignantly. "Oh, sure, the Extendable Ears…" he answered to himself, annoyed. 

"An owl came to me this morning and woke me up," Harry started his story, "and it gave me a letter and flew away. The letter said that it was you, and that you're coming in the evening, with your Dad, to pick me up. It also said that because you've broken your arm playing Quidditch, you couldn't write, so Bill was writing it for you. Anyway, I thought that it doesn't make too much sense, 'cause I talked to Remus a couple of days ago, so I sent Hedwig to him and asked him about it. Where's Hedwig, by the way?"

"She's out, hunting probably," said Fred. 

"Oh, sure. Anyway, you know who actually wrote the letter?" asked Harry, dying to share it with somebody.

"Who?" asked the three Weasleys together. 

"Wormtail, that – ", and Harry said something that Hermione wouldn't like to hear. 

"What??? Are you serious? Damn it, I hoped You-Know-Who killed him," said Ron. 

"Well, turns out that he's still alive… I just hope that he'll be the one to come to my house today, and that Dumbledore will catch him, so he can rot in Azkaban," reacted Harry, hatred flooding him. "But let's not talk about it. When's Hermione coming?"

"I dunno, sometimes this week," answered Ron.

George was about to say something, when Ginny entered the room. "Harry – Professor Dumbledore is downstairs, and he wants to see you," she said, looking excited. 

A\N: If you read it for the first time – REVIEW! If you read the previous version – I hope this one is better.

Personal responses:

samayn – as you can see, I decided to change the "love stuff". I agree with you, it CAN ruin the story. Tnx!

hpcrazy – I was thinking about something very close to your idea, so I think I'll combine your idea and mine. It won't appear soon, but I'm pretty sure I will use it. Thank you very much!!

A big thanks to all the other people who reviewed. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. 


	5. The Fidelius Charm

A\N: In case you haven't noticed, I revised the last chapter, and erased the last bit. Samayn and hpcrazy – I put there personal responses for you, so if you didn't see it, check them out. 

Disclaimer: What could possibly make you think that I own Harry Potter??? Do I look like I'm richer than the Queen of England? Somehow, I don't think so…

Chapter 5: The Fidelius Charm

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Why do you think Dumbledore wants to see you now?" asked Ron, as he, Harry and Ginny walked down the stairs.

"I dunno," said Harry, "probably wants to check that I'm OK or something." 

They walked down and entered the kitchen. Dumbledore was already sitting there, along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Remus, Tonks, and the twins, who have already apparated downstairs. Dumbledore smiled as they entered. "Hello Harry. I have to say that you demonstrated today an excellent skill of sensing danger. You should be proud of yourself, your actions saved both you and your relatives." 

"Erm… thank you," said Harry, embarrassed, "but it's not that special… I mean, I knew it wasn't right, because Remus – " But Dumbledore cut him off. "It doesn't matter. The fact remains – had you not been cautious, things might have turned out very differently. Now, I believe that Remus has already told you about the Fidelius Charm?"

"The Fidelius…?" asked Harry, puzzled, "Oh, the Secret Keeper thing? Yeah, he did."

"Well, then," Dumbledore started saying, but suddenly Ron jumped. "Oh, please, sir, can I be Harry's Secret Keeper?" he asked eagerly.

"I am afraid not," Dumbledore smiled sadly, "As much as I know you are willing to do it, and as much as myself and Harry trust you, it is not safe – neither for you, nor for Harry."

"Oh," sad Ron, disappointed, "sure…"

"I want this done with as soon as possible, so I must ask you all to leave the kitchen – except for Harry, of course," said Dumbledore, standing up. Everybody got up, and started getting out of the kitchen. Ron whispered, "Good luck", and Harry smiled nervously. Finally, he was left alone with Dumbledore, who beckoned Harry towards him.

"I want you to stand, close your eyes and relax. It won't hurt, but the feeling can be strange. The most important thing," he emphasized, "is to stay calm. Ready?" 

"I think so," said Harry, closing his eyes and feeling more nervous. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. _It is going to be OK_, he said to himself. 

"Fidelius dissimulo incantato," whispered Dumbledore, and Harry heard the swish of his wand. He felt as though his insides were spinning fast, and as though something from within him was breaking out, and going into Dumbledore's wand. "Alieno," said Dumbledore, and Harry sensed something like wind flowing past him. 

"You can open your eyes, Harry, it's over."

Harry opened his eyes and examined himself. He didn't see anything different. "Er… Professor? Are you sure it worked?" he asked, worried that maybe something went wrong. 

"You'll see in a minute," Dumbledore smiled mischievously, and went to open the kitchen's door. "Come in, everybody," he called.

Ron was the first to enter the kitchen. He looked around, his eyes met Harry's, but he didn't seem to notice. "Where is he?" he gasped. The others, filling in the kitchen, looked like they didn't see anyone in the room, too. Dumbledore was the only one looking directly at Harry. "You see? They can't see you. Say something, and they won't hear you, either," he said.

"So it _did_ work?" asked Harry, amazed. True enough, nobody heard him. Except for Dumbledore, of course – "Yes, indeed. So, do you want to stay invisible or would you rather be seen and heard?" he asked, clearly enjoying the effect of his charm.

"No, I think I want them to see me," grinned Harry, "but wait – let me scare Ron a little." He went over to Ron, and stood, facing him, almost touching him, so that the first thing Ron would see when the charm is lifted would be Harry's face. "Now you can tell them," he grinned again.

"Alright," smiled Dumbledore, "Harry Potter is in the Lewis Mansion, in the kitchen." Just as he finished saying the words, Ron jumped back in fright, and Ginny gasped. 

"You scared the hell out of me," said Ron angrily, but then smiled, "It was cool!!" 

"Way to go, Harry," laughed George, who, along with the rest of the people in the kitchen, was now able to see him, "actually, that gives me an idea… Fred, come on." And with this, the twins disapparated somewhere.

"Oh, their ideas…" nodded Mrs. Weasley disapprovingly. "Let go, Molly, they _do_ have some useful ideas sometimes," said Mr. Weasley. "Yes? Like what, exactly?" she said angrily. "Like… like this Cleaning Cream of theirs – it cleaned the whole kitchen," answered Mr. Weasley hopefully. "Arthur, have you forgotten how it ended??" she cried. "Oh, that's right… I thought it were the Spinning Socks that did that," he said thoughtfully. 

"What are…?" Harry started asking quietly. "Later," Ron muttered, as Dumbledore approached them.

"Harry, take this," he said and gave Harry a small note, written in his small handwriting, "and give it to those that'll come here, if you want them to see you. Also give it to your relatives, I think that it'll be better if they can see you."

"Thank you, professor," said Harry, taking the note and putting it in his jeans pocket. 

"I'm returning to Little Whinging now. Be careful, Harry, and goodbye," said Dumbledore.

Harry bid him goodbye, and turned to Ron. "Shall we go back to our room?" he asked.

"Yeah, alright," said Ron. When they went out of the kitchen, Harry noticed that the Torch of the Green Flame was now attached to a bracket above the fireplace in the hall of the Mansion. He felt, yet again, like he knew this place, as though he'd been there in a different life. When they got back to their room, he asked, "So what are the Cleaning Cream and the…"

"The Spinning Socks? You probably guessed," said Ron, "that it's a couple of Fred and George's inventions. When you polish something with the Cleaning Cream, it becomes bright and clean for a half an hour or so, but then turns to be moldy and disgusting. Obviously, it wears off after a few hours, but you can't remove it with spells. Mom cleaned the whole kitchen with it, so you can imagine what it looked like afterwards… And the Spinning Socks are socks, that if you wear them, you start spinning just like a toy top, so you crush everything around you, because it's very difficult to stop. They gave it to me, and as soon as I entered the kitchen, I started spinning… It took a lot of time to repair the broken chairs, let's put it that way."

"So they didn't waste time, I see," grinned Harry.

"Yeah… Hey, how were your OWLs?" asked Ron.

"I got an 'O' in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, and Care of Magical Creatures; an 'E' in Charms, Herbology and Potions; and a 'P' in Divination, Astronomy and History of Magic," answered Harry, "How about you?"

"Well, I got an 'E' in Defense, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures and Charms; an 'A' in Herbology, Potions and History of Magic; a 'P' in Astronomy," said Ron, and then added gloomily, "and a 'D' in Divination. But it's not like I really care anyway," he said in a happier voice. "I'm taking Defence, Charms, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, and Herbology next year. Finally, the happy day arrived – we don't have to study Potions anymore!!! No more Snape!!"

"Speak for yourself," said Harry, annoyed, "I am taking Potions, and I'm not taking CoMC…"

"What?!" cried Ron, outraged, "You are going to spend two years with Snape, _willingly_? Are you out of your mind? And besides, you've got an 'E' – would he agree to take you?"

"I'm not out of my mind, but I have to take Potions if I want to be an Auror… And McGonagall promised me last year that she'd help me achieve it, so she talked Snape into letting me into his classes. Although I still can't see why he agreed…" said Harry thoughtfully. 

"Well, I don't envy you…You know, I can only imagine Hermione's reaction when she got the owl with the O.W.Ls – she probably got an 'O' in everything, it must have been the happiest day in her life," laughed Ron.

********************

A couple of hours later, Mrs. Weasley came to call them to have lunch. "Harry, dear, I think you should also call your relatives, they are probably hungry, too."

"Dudley certainly is," grinned Harry, "Sure, I'll call them." He went to their door and knocked. "Aunt Petunia? Uncle Vernon?" But nobody answered. 

"Oh, wait," said Ron, "they can't hear you…"

"Right… I forgot… You knock, then," said Harry.

Ron knocked. But still, nobody answered. He knocked again and again – no response whatsoever. "Do you think something happened to them?' asked Ron hesitantly. "Nah, they are probably afraid of answering, they think you'll curse them," laughed Harry, "never mind that, let's go, I'm starving." And with that, they went down to eat.

A\N: You know what to do, just review :) I really hope that I will be able to write the next chapter asap, in the meantime – review!!

I would also like to thank all the people in Harry Potter Forum in Nana who are reading my story and loving it. Thank you!!

Chiliz – if it weren't for you, this chapter would be written much slower, thanks for the support!!


	6. An eventful night

Disclaimer: How many times will I have to repeat it?? I do not own Harry Potter, and unfortunately, I never will…

Chapter 6: An eventful night

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The afternoon passed quickly and pleasantly. Harry and Ron played a few games of chess, all of which ended, as always, in Ron's victory. Then, Ginny joined them for a game of Exploding snap. The twins were busy with their new idea, so they stayed in their room. The Dursleys were still nowhere to be seen, but Harry didn't worry a bit about them. He was sure they were not going to come out of their room anytime soon, at least not until Dudley's pleas for food will get on Uncle Vernon's nerves. 

The evening came, and soon, it was time for dinner. The six Weasleys, Harry, Remus, Tonks and Hestia Jones sat at the table, eating the delicious food made by Mrs. Weasley, and chatting happily. Harry was talking to Ron about Percy.

"His 'pride' just won't let him come and apologize to Mom and Dad," said Ron, "and we are definitely not going to ask him to come to us. So he's stuck in London with Fudge."

"What is Fudge doing these days, anyway?" asked Harry. Remus, who was sitting near him, heard his question and answered.

"Mainly," he said, "trying to ensure that the imprisoned Death Eaters won't escape. Voldemort is probably not going to do anything serious before they are free. Or, at least, we thought so, until you got that letter today."

Just as he said it, the doorbell rang loudly. "I'll get it," said Mrs. Weasley. She went out to the hall, and then they heard her crying, "Alastor, what happened?" She entered back into the kitchen, and then came Dumbledore, Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was limping, and Mad-Eye Moody, whose already scarred face was bleeding, and whose robes were torn. Dumbledore said quietly, "Harry is in this room." Kingsley's eyes widened in surprise, as he suddenly saw Harry before him. The two Aurors and Dumbledore joined the table, and Moody growled angrily, "We didn't catch them." 

"Who was it?" asked Remus sharply.

"We never found out," answered Moody bitterly, "they managed to escape before the effect of the Polyjuice had worn off."

"What happened exactly, Alastor?" asked Mr. Weasley.

Moody took out his hip flask, drank, and started talking. "The letter that Potter got told that 'you' will come for him at 7 o'clock, so at a quarter to seven I drank the Polyjuice Potion containing Potter's hair, and became his copy. I was waiting in the kitchen, while Kingsley and Albus were in the living room. Kingsley was wearing my Invisibility Cloak. We were all ready to meet whoever was coming, holding our wands and waiting." He took another sip from the flask, and continued. "A few minutes after 7, there was a knock on the door. I went to open it, while Kingsley and Albus, who also became invisible, joined me. When I opened the door, ready to curse the person standing there, I saw it was 'Arthur' and 'Ron'. They must have somehow got your hairs and made a Polyjuice themselves. I pretended to be very 'happy' to see them, and told them I was going to bring 'my' trunk. Half a minute after that, on my sign, we started attacking them. We had an advantage, because two of us were invisible, but they managed to escape our Stunners. Then, they ran out of the house, sending curses at us. One of them hit Kingsley, and torn the Cloak, so now they could see him. They sent another few curses, and so I was hit in the face. I injured one of them badly enough, he was bleeding heavily, but they apparated before we could catch them. I don't know whether it'll make any difference, but they think it was Potter who fought them, not me." Moody took a final sip, and put the flask back inside his robes. 

Everybody was very silent, pondering Moody's story. Harry wondered who were those two Death Eaters, and whether Wormtail was one of them. Then, a question arose inside him. "How did they get the hairs they needed??" he asked quietly.

"It is, indeed, a very important question," answered Dumbledore. "My guess is that Peter got into The Burrow, in his Animagus form, obviously, and took them."

The look on Ron's face was of a pure loathing and disgust. "That… that – " ("Ron!", said Mrs. Weasley) "- was in our house?!" Fred, George and Ginny looked as much disturbed as Ron. Even Mr. Weasley looked disconcerted. 

Dumbledore was about to say something, but suddenly, Harry felt a horrible pain in his forehead, and once again, he had the now familiar feeling that his head was about to split into two. The pain in his scar was insufferable, and Harry barely could hold himself from screaming. He let out a muffled shriek, and shut his eyes. For a second, he saw an image of somebody twisting on the floor in a dark room, but then the pain lessened, he opened his eyes, and the image disappeared. His head was spinning, and he felt sick and weak. Remus jumped and grabbed Harry, who almost fell back.

"What happened, Harry?" he asked, panic in his voice. Everybody was looking at Harry, worried, and Dumbledore stood up, too, and approached him. 

"My… my scar," whispered Harry, fighting the pain in his head, "it hurts… And I saw an image… of… of somebody being tortured… Vol… Voldemort is mad at something…"

Mrs. Weasley hurried towards him, conjuring a wet cloth and putting it on Harry's head. "He… he needs to lie down, Albus."

"Can you stand, Harry?" asked Remus in a soft voice. Harry tried to shake his head, meaning 'No', but it only made the pain worse. "Here," said Dumbledore, and conjured a stretcher. Together, the three of them helped Harry lie on the stretcher, and then Remus muttered 'Mobilicorpus', and Harry felt floating in the air. He closed his eyes, and opened them only when he was in his room. He rolled from the stretcher onto his bed. Ron, who also followed, sat on his own bed, and was looking at Harry in a frightened look. "Does it still hurt?" he asked, almost whispering.

"Less," Harry managed to say in a shaking voice. He was still trembling, and he closed his eyes again. 

"Do you want anything, Harry? Something to drink, perhaps?" asked Remus. 

"Water," muttered Harry. "Thanks," he said, taking in his shaking hand the glass that Remus just conjured. He sipped the water slowly, feeling the pain decreasing. He took off his glasses, and rubbed his forehead. "It hasn't been that bad ever since -," his voice broke. The thought of the day of Sirius's death was still painful, particularly now. 

"It's alright," said Remus comfortingly, "you need to try and get some sleep. We'll go now, OK?"

"Yes," Harry said. Remus beckoned Ron towards the door, and they went out, turning off the light. Harry turned over, and closed his eyes. The last thought he had before falling asleep was, _I didn't try to close my mind_, and he trailed off.

~*~*~*~

He was walking in a gloomy passage, and entered a dark room. There, standing in front of him, was the man with the red eyes and the snake-like nostrils. The man raised his hand and pointed at him. "_This time you escaped, Potter,"_ he hissed, "_but next time you won't be that lucky."_

~*~*~*~  

 A\N: A little shorter than usually, but quite eventful, don't you think? But at least I managed to update sooner than I thought :) Well, what are you waiting for? Review!


	7. Thoughts

Disclaimer: I'm running out of ideas for funny disclaimers… So I'll just say that I don't own Harry Potter… I do own the Lewis Mansion, but that's it…

A\N: I should have done this before: This chapter is dedicated to samayn and hogwartsheir, who added me to their fav's!

Chapter 7: Thoughts

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Harry woke up, his scar hurting once again, his heart beating fast. Voldemort talked to him. _Voldemort warned you. _He sat there, shocked, ignoring Ron's loud snores, lost in thoughts. This dream seemed so… so real. _That's what happens when you don't do any Occlumency_, he sneered at himself. _That's how he made you go to the Department of mysteries in the first place, that's why Sirius is dead. It's all your – _

"No!" he said quietly. "It is **not**my fault. It is **his** fault; it's all because of **him**." _And now you are talking to yourself because of him,_ said a voice in his head, _he's going to drive you crazy, and – _

Harry shook his head, trying to make those thoughts go away. He stood up, and went out of the room, going down to the kitchen. "Maybe a glass of water would help," he thought. When he got to the kitchen, he was surprised to find Dumbledore and Remus sitting there, engaged in a conversation. _How could you be so stupid? You didn't even think of telling them about your dream…_

"What happened, Harry? Are you alright?" asked Remus, standing up. 

"Yeah," said Harry, "well, sort of… Voldemort just talked to me in my dream, he… he gave me a warning. I didn't practice Occlumency tonight," he added guiltily, "I was too tired, so…" and his voice trailed off.

Dumbledore looked at him seriously. "What did he say?" he asked.

"He said that this time I was lucky, but next time I won't escape," answered Harry, "But then, he already said that before," he added with a smirk. 

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't take it seriously," pointed out Dumbledore, "You do understand how important it is to close your mind, right?"

"Yes," said Harry, "Er… professor, how can I know that I'm doing Occlumency properly? Is there a way to check it?" 

"Actually, there is," answered Dumbledore, "but I don't think we should try it now, your mind is still agitated from the dream you just had. We'll check in a couple of days, I promise."

Harry stayed up most of the night, talking to Remus. At four in the morning, he finally went up, and fell asleep, after closing his mind.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When Harry woke up, Ron was already awake. "Come on," he said, "it's time for breakfast!!"

"Harry, dear," said Mrs. Weasley as they entered the kitchen, "I'm worried about your Aunt and Uncle – they didn't answer when I tried to call them down to have breakfast."

"They are probably afraid of having any touch with wizards… But I can't call them," frowned Harry, "they won't hear me, not until they are told that I'm here…"

"Of course," said Dumbledore brightly, "I forgot about that… Oh, the age, the age," he sighed. "I'll apparate to their room and tell them."

"I'm not sure they'll – " Harry started saying, but Dumbledore already disappeared. A minute later, a scream could be heard from the Dursleys' room. Another five minutes passed, and Dumbledore apparated back into the kitchen.

"Well, I told them that you are here, although they didn't understand why I was bothering to tell them," he smiled, "And we also agreed that they will go back to their house after the breakfast. I did try to convince them to stay here, but they were very reluctant about it, so I gave up. They'll come down soon."

Sure enough, Harry barely started eating, when the Dursleys walked into the kitchen. Uncle Vernon was eyeing Mr. Weasley warily, Aunt Petunia didn't look up at all, and Dudley was gaping at the food that Mrs. Weasley made. They ate their breakfast quickly, and Uncle Vernon growled towards Dumbledore, "We want to leave _now_."

"Well, I guess I'll just make a Portkey to take you back," said Dumbledore, getting up, and taking his wand out. Dudley was watching with an expression of mingled horror and interest, as Dumbledore put an apple on the table, and mumbled, "Portus". Uncle Vernon was staring at him questioningly, clearly not understanding what was going on, but Aunt Petunia, who seemed to know what Portkeys were, stood up, and walked closer to Dumbledore, beckoning Dudley to come with her. "If you could just touch the apple, Mr. Dursley," said Dumbledore. Uncle Vernon moved forward, very reluctantly, and the three Dursleys touched the apple. Seconds later, they were gone, and Harry let out a sigh of relief. "I didn't think it'd be so easy," he said. 

After breakfast, went with Ron to explore the house. The Lewis Mansion was a big place, with lots of rooms, lots of portraits, and, mainly, lots of carpets. Each room had a different carpet, with a different pattern, that matched the wallpapers. It looked like the house belonged to somebody rich, but unlike the Black house, this somebody clearly wasn't a dark wizard. There was a room that had bookshelves full of books, many of which were ordinary Muggle books. ("I bet Hermione would love this room," said Ron.) In one of the rooms, they discovered, to Harry's surprise, a billiard-table, that was kept so well it almost looked new. Harry started explaining to Ron everything he knew about billiard (which wasn't much), and they even tried to play a few games. Both were lousy, however, so they quickly dropped it, and went on. They finished exploring the house only in the evening, completely exhausted from the long day, but very pleased with themselves. When they spread on their beds, somebody knocked.

"Come in," said Harry, wondering who could it be. The door opened, and Dumbledore entered the room. 

"I want to keep the promise I gave you, Harry," he said, "Are you ready to check your Occlumency skills now?" 

"What? Oh, yeah, sure. How are we going to do it?" asked Harry.

"You know what to do – just relax, and close your mind. I'll try to 'read your thoughts', as the Muggles call it, and we'll see how well you resist it," said Dumbledore calmly. Ron, who already knew about the dream Harry had ("You-Know-Who came to you in your dreams??? That's scary, Harry, it really is…") sat on his bed, watching with interest. Harry concentrated, and started breathing deeply. He closed his eyes and relaxed, and heard Dumbledore saying 'Legillimens'. However, nothing happened. Harry opened his eyes. Dumbledore was smiling.

"Excellent, Harry. If you continue practicing, I daresay Voldemort (Ron shuddered) won't be able to give you these dreams anymore," he said. "I'm leaving the Mansion today, and I'm not sure if I will see you two until the start of term, so have a nice holiday, and be careful. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Professor," said Harry and Ron together. Ten minutes later, they were both asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A week passed, and Hermione arrived to the Lewis Mansion. After scaring her, the same way he did with Ron, Harry greeted her merrily, and Hermione quickly brought up the subject of their O.W.L.s. She' of course, got an 'Outstanding' in everything, except for an 'Exceeds Expectations' in Astronomy ("But we all got distracted by those ministry fools who tried to catch Hagrid and stun Professor McGonagall," she said indignantly.) And, obviously, she chose to learn more subjects than both of them together ("Ron, I can't believe you gave up Potions! It's really important!" she cried desperately.) Nothing could convince her that she was overloading herself, and that she'll be sorry for it later. However, Harry was finally truly happy for the first time this summer – he was with his two best friends, and it had never felt so good.

~*~*~

A\N: I do hope more people will REVIEW this time *angry face* Naaah, I'm just kidding. But you do realize you need to review if you want me to continue writing it, do you? Oh, whom am I fooling; I'm going to continue writing it anyway :) Next chapter – Diagon Alley, and we'll be meeting a long forgotten friend (or maybe not a friend… who isn't forgotten at all… *grins*)


	8. Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: I own nothing. NOTHING!!!

A\N: I'm sorry for the long delay, I really am. But I'm making it up to you; this chapter is much longer than usually. 

Personal responses:

Chiliz – This chapter is dedicated to you, because you kept reminding me to write it :)

Graphicrockstar - Thanks for pointing it out to me. I changed it, it WAS Moody who should have drunk it. But it's all Lupin's fault, not mine, 'cause he's the one who said it!

Twigs – Thank you!!

Lari Potter – Yes, indeed, it's Draco :)

Weaver of Words – As much as I do want him to come back, I'm not intending to bring Sirius back to life, not in this story, anyway. I hope I'm not in your 'bad books', and I hope you'll continue reading it anyway :)

Chapter 8 – Diagon Alley

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Harry, Ron, wake up!" cried Hermione, bursting to their room a week later. "The booklists have arrived, we should go to Diagon Alley to buy everything!"

"Aahhh," yawned Ron, "But wh-wh-why did you have to waaaake us?" Harry, however, put on his glasses and frowned. "Are they going to let me come with you? I mean," he imitated, "_it's not safe._"

"Actually," said Hermione, "_they_ say that the Fidelius Charm makes it safe enough, and besides, a couple of Order members are going to come along anyway. So you two should get yourself ready, or you _will _stay here. That includes _you_, Ron," she said to Ron, who let out a loud grunt, and muttered something. "Oh, come on, I can't believe he fell asleep again," she said, irritated, "Wake him up, I have lots of books to buy." And with that, she left the room. 

~*~*~

"Mom, how're we getting to Diagon Alley?" asked Ginny after breakfast.

"Floo powder, but of course," answered Mrs. Weasley. "Come on now, let's go. How many people are we?"

"Eight, I believe," answered Mr. Weasley. "I'll go first, shall I?" He took a pinch of Floo powder out of a small yellow pot that was standing on a small table, and threw it into the fireplace. With the words 'Diagon Alley' he stepped into the green flames, and disappeared. 

"Ron, you'll go next," said Mrs. Weasley, handing him the yellow pot. Hermione went after Ron, and then it was Harry's turn. "Harry, remember that you are invisible to everybody but us," were the last thing that Harry heard before he started spinning in the flames.

He stepped out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron, brushing the soot off his clothes, and readjusting his glasses. A minute later, Ginny appeared in the fireplace, and then Mrs. Weasley. Almost immediately, Remus and Tonks apparated in and joined the group.

"Harry, if you'll give me your Gringotts key, I'll fetch you some money," said Remus, as they stepped out to Diagon Alley. It took a while to find the key, and Remus hurried off towards the end of the street. 

"Hey, let's go to Weasley Wizard Wheezes; Harry and Hermione haven't seen it yet," said Ron cheerfully. 

"All right, darling," said Mrs. Weasley. "Tonks and Arthur can join you, and in the meantime, give me your booklists, I'll go to Flourish and Blotts." Despite her cheerful tone, Harry knew that the adults were joining them to make sure nothing happens to him. He felt irritated – he was invisible to everyone else, he surely didn't need any more 'protection'. However, he didn't show his irritation, and hastened to follow Ron, who was already trying to describe the shop.

"It's amazing, you won't believe it, it's like Zonko's – only bigger, and full of all their stuff. You just won't believe what a success it is, it's fantastic, it's – "

"Cut it out, Ron," said Ginny, "I think they've got your point." Ron was slightly put down, but then they arrived to the shop. The entrance was coloured in red, yellow and blue colours, and there was a large banner that read **"Weasley Wizard Wheezes"** in glittering orange letters. Underneath there was a small sign, that said, "Open 24/7, unless we're not here. By the way, we're not here from 18:00 until 8:00 every day, and on Tuesdays, too." 

The four of them entered the store (Tonks and Mr. Weasley stayed outside), and Harry and Hermione gasped. Ron was right, it _was_ fantastic. It was about 5 times larger than Zonko's, and full of things. There were all the tricks, jokes, and other stuff that Fred and George invented during their time in Hogwarts, and much more new things. The shop was full of people, and the line of people who wanted to buy things was endless. Ron grinned, "I hate to tell you that I told you so, but _I told you so!!!_" Harry nodded, still stunned of the colourful place. Suddenly somebody slapped him on the back.

"So, I see you are amazed by the wonderful Weasley Wizard Wheezes," said George's voice. Harry turned, and almost shrieked – George was standing in front of him, _headless_. It took a while, until Harry remembered that the twins invented hats that could make your head invisible. "It's not funny," he frowned, while Ginny and Ron exploded with laughter, and Hermione was torn between amusement and annoyance. 

"Oh yes, it is," laughed George, pulling off the hat, and becoming perfectly visible again. "So, what brings our first sponsor to our small and cozy place?" he asked. Harry was the one who gave the twins the money they needed to develop their jokes, and to open their own shop. 

"We just wanted to show your 'small and cozy' place to Hermione and Harry," said Ginny. "They didn't believe us when we told them how big it was."

"They _what?_ No, no, I'm shocked and stunned," said George, pulling an offended face. "Don't you dare talk to me again," he said dramatically. 

"If we don't talk to you, it'll only be safer for us," grinned Harry, "and I don't think that's what you want."

"Good point," George frowned, "I guess I'll have to endure you talking to me." He grinned, "I have to get back to work, so I'll see you in the evening. Here," he took a box from a shelf nearby, "you can all have some Wriggling Worms. It's on the house." He stuffed the box into Harry's hand, and disapparated. They heard him shouting, "Sneaking Snackboxes, on a special offer," from somewhere in the back of the shop.

"Do you think it's safe to open the box?" asked Harry.

"To open it – probably yes, to use whatever is in it – definitely not," answered Ginny. "I never heard of Wriggling Worms before, have you, Ron?"

"I don't think so… We could always try it," Ron suggested, "but I'd rather not be the first. I'll tell you what, we'll open it when we are back home, it's less risky."

"Okay then, let's go," said Harry, and led the way out to the street. "Where are we going now?" he asked when everybody was outside. 

"Let's go to Quidditch Quality," said Ginny, "I need a twig-clipper." They started walking, and suddenly Harry remembered something.

"Hey, I forgot to tell you," he said excitedly, "I'm Quidditch Captain!"

"Oh, Harry, it's great," said Hermione and Ginny together, and laughed. Ron looked caught off track, but quickly regained himself, and smiled. "Could you think otherwise? You were the youngest Seeker in 100 years, it was obvious you'll be a captain."

"We're going to have a great team this year," said Ginny eagerly, "With both of you on the team, we'll be invincible. I only hope we can find worthy chasers, now that all out chasers left."

"Well, we already have one chaser, don't we? If you want to, obviously," said Harry. "I mean, you should go to the try-outs, but I think your place is assured."

"Really? Oh, thanks, Harry, I really appreciate it," Ginny said, blushing a little.

~*~*~ 

They spent their time in a few more shops, and, finally, started going back towards the Leaky Cauldron. Mr. Weasley and Tonks were already far ahead of them. Just then, they heard a familiar voice.

"Well, well, it's Granger and the Weasels," said Draco Malfoy, a blond boy from the Slytherin house in Hogwarts. Malfoy was Harry's enemy ever since their first day in Hogwarts, and their enmity only grew after Harry caused Malfoy's father to go to Azkaban. "And where's Potter? Didn't invite him to come with you, did you? Or has he stayed in his house, too frightened to go out? Oh, of course – he's probably sitting somewhere and crying over his – " 

_Slap!_ Harry, whom Malfoy couldn't see, slapped him hard on his head, and Malfoy fell to the ground. Harry kicked him, and they went on, laughing, as Ron shouted to Malfoy, "Be careful, Malfoy, you should really learn how to stand properly, before you're going out to the street." 

"I can't believe it," said Hermione angrily, "After all that happened last year, he still thinks himself above everybody. I thought that having his father imprisoned would make him realize that he's wrong…"

"D'you really think that something can change him??? No way," said Ron. "But at least Harry repaid him… Right, Harry?"

But Harry didn't answer. In fact, he was really bothered by Malfoy's words. How could he know about Sirius?? _Oh, that's right,_ he reminded himself, _Bellatrix Lestrange is his mother's sister… And they probably keep in touch, especially now._ But Harry couldn't allow himself to be taunted by Malfoy's sneers. He must not let Malfoy provoke him anymore – at least not when Malfoy actually _sees_ him. It would only make things worse, so he must control himself. Reaching that decision, he reacted to Ron's words.

"What? Oh, yeah, sure…" he said.

"Are you OK, Harry? Asked Hermione, looking worried.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I just wasn't paying too much attention. Sorry," he grinned.

When they reached the Leaky Cauldron, they found out that Remus has already fetched the Torch of the Green Flame from the Lewis Mansion. 

"Why can't we use the normal Floo powder?" Harry asked.

"The Floo Network may be watched," answered Tonks. "But when we use the Torch, or when we Floo out of the Mansion, they can't track it – they can only track fireplaces that appear on their lists, and the Mansion's isn't listed. However, if you Floo out of here _to_ the Mansion, they might notice the un-listed fireplace, which won't be good. The Mansion is supposed to be deserted."

"Ok, sure," answered Harry, not sure he really understood it. 

Just like before, Tonks was the first to go, and Harry followed. Finally, he was back…

A\N: OK, you read it, now review! 


	9. The end of the summer

Disclaimer: I don't want to write it. Sue me. (Actually – don't)

A\N: Yay!!! So many reviews!!! I was so happy; my mailbox was full of 'Review Alerts'!! Thank you very very very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Replies – in the end of the chapter)

Chapter 9: The end of the summer

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After returning from Diagon Alley, Hermione immediately started reading her new books. As there were so many of them (she took a lot of subjects), Harry almost didn't see her for the first couple of days. In the meantime, he, Ron and Ginny spent a lot of time talking about Quidditch, and especially about the next year's team. It turned out that they needed not only new chasers, but also new beaters – Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper, the beaters that replaced Fred and George last year, weren't going to continue playing.

"… or so I heard," said Ginny. "But it's probably for the best, they were lousy players."

"Yes, but what if we can't find anyone better?" asked Ron anxiously.

"Anyone is better than those two," answered Ginny. "Besides, last year I heard people saying that they won't try and get on the team if Harry, Fred and George aren't there. Now that Harry is the Captain, they are going to be more eager to play."

"You're really exaggerating, you know," said Harry uncomfortably.

"I'm not. You'll see how many students are going to come to the tryouts," said Ginny. "Then you'll see that I'm right."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The rest of the summer passed very quickly. There were a few times when there were Order meetings, but as the 'children', as Mrs. Weasley called them, weren't allowed, it wasn't such a big deal. The only annoying thing about it was that Fred and George were now in the Order, too, but didn't agree to tell the 'kids' anything, as well. Ron often complained about it, but there wasn't much he could do, so, eventually, he stopped. 

A day before returning back to Hogwarts, Harry and Ron were in their room, packing their trunks. Once again, their things seemed to scatter of themselves all over the house. Some of Ron's things somehow turned up in Harry's cupboard, and Harry's – in Ron's trunk. Harry's Defense book was surprisingly found under Hermione's bed ("You know I wouldn't take it, I have one of my own"). So, they've been busy sorting it all out, and trying to put their things in their own trunks. 

"Hey, what's that?" frowned Ron, pulling something out of his pack of Bertie Botts's Beans. Harry looked up, and saw a silver chain that looked familiar.

"It's mine," he said, finally realizing what it was. "Hagrid gave it to me as a birthday present. What was it doing in your sweets' bag?!"

"I've no idea… Something weird is going on," Ron frowned again. "D'you reckon somebody messed up our things on purpose?" 

"Ummm… couldn't possibly be Fred and George, could it?" grinned Harry, finally understanding what was the reason to the 'mysterious' mayhem. 

A look of comprehension dawned on Ron's face. "I'll kill them one day, I swear I will."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A few hours later, while Harry was downstairs, looking for more forgotten things, the doorbell rang. Harry went to open the door, and there stood none other than Dumbledore himself. Harry greeted him, and turned to leave, thinking that there was probably another Order meeting planned for the evening. However, to his surprise, Dumbledore called him back.

"It's you that I want to talk to," said Dumbledore with his usual smile.

"Oh." Harry could think of nothing better to say. "Why, Professor?"

"Well, you're returning to Hogwarts tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Yes," said Harry slowly, suddenly fearing that something was wrong and he won't be able to come to Hogwarts.

"In that case we have to make you seen – unless you wish nobody in school can see you," said Dumbledore.

"Er… I guess I want them to see me… I have to, don't I?" said Harry hesitantly.

"You don't have to, but it's definitely recommended," answered the Headmaster.

"Er… all right, then," said Harry, feeling weird.

'Finite Fidelius Incantatem', muttered Dumbledore, pointing his wand at Harry. He felt a rush of wind blowing on him, and Dumbledore smiled. "That's it, Harry. Well, I'm off now; I'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Professor," said Harry, and Dumbledore disapparated instantly. Harry went back to his room, feeling confused – it all happened so quickly…

"What's up with you?" asked Ron when Harry entered their room. 

"What? Oh, nothing, Dumbledore just removed the Secret-Keeper Charm, and it was really sudden, and…" said Harry, not really having anything else to add. 

"Sure. Can you help me with this?" Ron indicated his trunk. "I can't close it."

A\N: I know, I know, it's really short, but I didn't want to put the Hogwarts Express in this chapter, it'll be in the next one, along with the Sorting. But!! I'm posting chapter 10 along with this one, so you won't even have to wait for it. 

Now, replies to my wonderful and great reviewers (It's simply splendid to read your reviews, just marvelous, absolutely spiffing, and really corking. If you don't know where that came from – shame on you!):

**Jo0609** – Thank you for reviewing every single chapter, it was fun to see 8 reviews at once, all of them from the same person. :)

**Chiliz** – That's alright, continue stalking me, it only makes me update faster :)

**Mageling** – I know what you mean; he should be more 'dark'… I'll try to make him more so in the next chapters. Tnx!

**Broc the dwarf** – I don't know yet whether it'll be a H\G. It's a possibility, but I'm not sure. I can only say that it definitely won't be H\Cho.

**Lil1318** – Your feeling is very close to the truth. But actually, I don't think it'll be mentioned anywhere in the story, he he he (=*evil laugh*) If I'll ever write a sequel about the 7th year, it'll probably appear then, but that won't be anytime soon :) Tnx very much, anyway!

**Lily skylo** – Everything said in the reply above, applies to you too – it's 'something like that', as you said. And yes, I agree – Malfoy _is_ very annoying :) And, of course – Sirius _is and forever will be_ the best. Thank you!

**Baby gurl** – I guess you're right, but I'm too lazy to change the name of the story now :) But thanks 4 pointing it out!!

**Anita coffee** – No, no, no Mary Sues in this story… And thank you so much for the compliments!!  

Also, many many many thanks to: **Remus J Lupin1, iniysa, Ginny-Girl-89-(TF-is-mine, miss-marauder3, fresh-angelbabe, bluemoon52292, dragon_wing, draconia phoenixus, holly,**** wowsergirl, believe, sethro72, brandon. THANK YOU ALL!!!!**


	10. Back to Hogwarts

Disclaimer: Don't own HP. 

Chapter 10: Back to Hogwarts

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ron, wake up! Ron… Ron!!! … Ron? Oh, fine, we'll leave without you, if that's what you want." 

Ron sprang up immediately. "Sorry, mate, I forgot we're leaving today."

Harry frowned. "So I've been spending the last hour shouting, just because _you_ have a very poor memory??"

"Emmm… Yes?" suggested Ron. "Ok, ok, I'm sorry… Hey, where's my trunk?" 

"Downstairs, in the car," answered Harry casually.

"Car? What car?"

"Mundungus Fletcher came with his car – you remember, the one he drove last year. Your trunk's already there, so you won't even have to drag it down the stairs – _I_ did it."

"Oh, great, thanks. No – wait a second – no!!!! What am I supposed to wear now???? All my clothes are in there – " Ron was looking bewildered. 

"Oops… Well, sorry, you'll just have to go in this," Harry pointed on Ron's pyjamas, and went out of the room, grinning. Ron came running out of the room ten seconds later.

"Harry… No… You didn't… Please tell me you didn't…" 

Harry grinned again. "Of course I didn't, here it is. But next time, I won't bother to wake you up."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Two hours later, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Remus and Tonks were sitting in the car, waiting for Mundungus to get in. Mrs. Weasley was, once again, looking disapproved, but she focused on calming down her husband, who became all excited about the car. Harry wondered if Mr. Weasley wasn't supposed to punish Mundungus for charming and using it, but he didn't say anything about it.

Upon arriving to Kings Cross, they met Mad-Eye Moody, who was waiting for them, looking very sinister with the bowling hat over his magical eye.

"All clear here," he growled. "Hurry up and get on the platform."

Harry and Ron went forward, and passed through the barrier to platform nine and three-quarters. Hermione and Ginny followed, and then all the adults came. While Mundungus and Mad-Eye Moody helped everyone to upload their things on the train, Remus took Harry aside.

"Harry, I –" he started saying, but Harry already knew what he was about to say.

" – want me to be careful and stay away from trouble, I know," said Harry grimly. He started feeling annoyed – does everyone still think that he is a small child?

Remus smiled sadly. "I know you are tired of hearing it, but it's true. You know how dangerous the situation is – "

"No, actually I don't know – nobody bothered to tell me anything about what's going on, just like last year," said Harry angrily. The anger that he felt last summer and after Sirius's death, arose in him once again. "Why not, it'll be very convenient for everyone to blame me for the next death too – as I'm so irresponsible, and always landing myself in trouble."

Then, Harry realized just what he said, and how much it must have hurt Remus, who was taken aback.  

"I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean –" he mumbled. "I just… I'm sorry."

"You're not the only one who cared about Sirius, Harry. And nobody thinks you're irresponsible, or blames you for his death. But you must understand the need to be extremely careful these days," said Remus quietly.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't want to – "

"That's all right, Harry. You need to get on the train, or it'll leave without you." 

~*~*~*~*~

Harry was sitting alone in the train compartment, being in a very bad mood. He was angry with himself for his outburst, and was feeling guilty. Ron and Hermione were fulfilling their Prefects' duties somewhere on the train, and Ginny, who left her things in the compartment, went with her fifth-year friends, so Harry was completely alone, and nothing could distract him from his guilt feelings. He was stroking Crookshanks, who lay curled in his lap, and his thoughts drifted to the Department of Mysteries. _It's not your fault, _he told himself firmly, _it's not._ After a while, he fell asleep.

He awoke half an hour later. Ron and Hermione could be heard arguing outside the compartment. They came inside, and Ron said, "It's not!"

"Yes, it is," said Hermione angrily.

Harry didn't even bother to ask what they were arguing about, and just said, "Oh, just stop fighting."

"Fine," muttered Hermione. Then she said in a perfectly normal voice, "I wonder who'll be teaching us Defence against the Dark Arts this year."

"Can't be somebody worse than Umbridge, can they?' smirked Harry. "What happened to her, by the way?"

"She was in St. Mungo's for a while, and now she just stays in her house, never goes out. That's what the Prophet said, anyway," said Hermione.

"Probably turned into a big and ugly toad," laughed Ron.

"Like your mother, Weasley?" said a sneering voice. Draco Malfoy was standing in the doorway, with his friends, Crabbe and Goyle, both having a stupid look on their faces.

"Tell me, Malfoy, how's your father doing? Enjoying himself?" asked Ron, smiling.

"Don't you dare talking about my father, Weasley!" said Malfoy angrily.

"Get out of here, then. And be careful, don't fall again, like you did in Diagon Alley," Ron laughed.

"You know," he said after Malfoy left, "It's becoming pathetic – he comes here every year, and always walks away, embarrassed."

The rest of the journey passed quickly. Many students dropped by to greet Harry, mainly people from the DA. Everybody was curious whether Harry's going to continue teaching.

"It all depends on the new teacher," he said to Seamus Finnigan, when he came with the same question. 

"I didn't really think about continuing the DA lessons," Harry admitted to Ron and Hermione when, finally, they were left alone. 

"You have to continue," said Hermione. "Now that Voldemort (Ron shuddered) is back, there'll be a lot of people waiting to join."

"But if the new teacher is good, we won't need the DA," said Harry.

"I guess you're right," said Hermione thoughtfully. "Is the train stopping? Ron, hurry, we need to supervise the students!"

"I wish I wasn't a Prefect," Ron muttered to Harry before Hermione dragged him away.

Harry took Hedwig's cage, and followed them. He found an empty carriage, and, after stroking its Thestral sadly, sat inside. Neville Longbottom, who was, as always, carrying his toad, Trevor, soon joined him. 

"Look, Harry, I've got a new wand," Neville said proudly, and showed him a short thick wand.

"Good for you, Neville," smiled Harry unwillingly. Neville's old wand was broken when he came with Harry to the Department of Mysteries. Harry shook his head – he didn't want to think about it anymore. 

Ron and Hermione came soon afterwards, and the Thestral spread his black wings, and started flying towards the Hogwarts castle.

~*~*~*~*~

"When will they start the feast?" muttered Ron angrily. "I'm starving." Nobody paid much attention to his words, because he always complained about his hunger on the first day of school. But this time, Harry shared his feeling – he couldn't wait for the food to come, and couldn't concentrate on anything beside the empty plate before him.

When everybody settled down, a long line of first-years was ushered into the Great Hall by Professor McGonagall. As usual, they all seemed small and frightened. Together with them, Hagrid slipped into the Hall, and tried to go unnoticed to his place. Obviously, everybody in the Hall noticed, and Harry, Ron and Hermione waved happily. Hagrid smiled, and wanted to say something, but then Prof. McGonagall brought forward the Sorting Hat, which immediately started singing.

So many many years ago, 

_Before the start of Hogwarts,_

_There were four wizards – such good friends -_

_Who had a single purpose:_

_"The younger wizards all should learn_

_The ways of doing magic."_

_They started Hogwarts on their own_

_But this they couldn't imagine:_

_Each one of them had different views_

_Of those who should be taught,_

_So each had founded his own house_

_And I am bound to sort._

_To Griffindor I send those who_

_Are brave and stout of heart,_

_In Ravenclaw I shall put you_

_If you are very smart,_

_You will be put in Slytherin_

_If 'Pure Blood' is your motto,_

_And Hufflepuff will take you in_

_They are good friends, they ought to._

_Last year I gave a warning,_

_And now I must repeat:_

_Though you will now be sorted,_

_Don't think that I like it._

_For we're facing times of danger,_

_And you must unite within,_

_So be best friends together,_

_No matter what house you are in._

_And this advice I'm giving,_

_Should be attended to,_

_'Cause otherwise there'll be_

_No place to sort you to._

Once again, the Sorting Hat was giving a warning. The Great Hall was buzzing – everybody was discussing what they heard. Last year, the warning seemed not important, but now, when they knew that Voldemort had indeed returned, the students took it more seriously. 

"Nothing new here," said Hermione. "It said the same things last year, but unfortunately, nobody listens to it."

"Yeah, well, I want food," said Ron. 

"Ron!! How can you be so… so… superficial!" said Hermione indignantly. They started fighting again, and didn't even notice the sorting. But Harry didn't pay attention to it either, and didn't hear the names that Prof. McGonagall read from her list ('Andrews, Robin' – Hufflepuff … 'Crest, Persephone' – Slytherin … 'Evans, Mark' – Ravenclaw … )

A\N: I'll think I'll end it here. I planned to continue with Dumbledore's speech, but it's long enough that way. I know that the Sorting song isn't even close to what JKR writes, but as you all know, I'm not JKR… Too bad for me… Anyway, tell me what you think!!


	11. Dumbledore's speech

Disclaimer: I'm so tired of this – no, I don't own Harry or any character you know. Hey, I own the new Defence teacher!! Yay!

A\N: I'm terribly sorry for the time it took me to post that. I could give you excuses, but I don't think you want to hear them… I'll try to do it faster next time. 

Also, people asked me if Mark Evans is the one whom Dudley was beating in OotP. The answer is yes – knowing JKR, he's probably Harry's relative (Lily's maiden-name was Evans), and in OotP he was ten years old, so I decided that this year he should come to Hogwarts. However, I don't think he'll play any important part in this story – Harry probably won't even notice him.

Chapter 11: Dumbledore's speech

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After the sorting, Dumbledore stood up. "I know that you are hungry," he said with the usual twinkle in his eyes, looking directly at Ron, "so the speeches will be made afterwards. Bon appetite!" 

"That's more like it," said Ron, before loading his plate with food. Harry followed suit, while Hermione looked at both of them disapprovingly.

"If you hadn't thought about food so much, you'd be able to see that the new Defence teacher is already here," she said matter-of-factly. Harry looked up to the teachers' table, and saw that, indeed, a woman was sitting near Prof. McGonagall, talking with her. She had short and straight brown hair, and she wore dark-blue robes. 

"She seems nice, doesn't she?" said Hermione.

"Pwowawly," Ron tried to say with a full mouth. Hermione gave him a look of disgust. 

"I hope she knows how to teach Defence properly," said Harry quickly, before his friends could start arguing again.

"Ucaawaswepaceerishedoewt," said Ron.

"What???"

"I said," Ron swallowed, "You can always replace her if she doesn't."

Harry looked at the other teachers. Snape was eating sulkily, glancing at the new teacher from time to time. To Harry's surprise, it wasn't the look of loathing that Snape usually had for the new Defence teachers (Everybody knew that Snape tried to get the Defence against the Dark Arts post every single year, always failing). It was more a look of – Harry couldn't define it – of respect, or something alike. 

"Harry, why are you staring at Snape?" asked Ron, chewing something.

"What?? I'm not staring at him! Why on earth would I want to stare at this git?"

"That's exactly my question… Never mind, never mind," Ron added hastily, seeing the look on Harry's face. Harry and Snape detested each other ever since Harry's first day in Hogwarts. Actually, it was a result of Snape's hatred towards Harry's father and his friends – James, Sirius and Remus (Harry didn't consider Peter as their friend) were Snape's enemies in their school days. But after seeing last year what James had done to Snape, Harry could understand his attitude towards him. During the summer, Harry glimpsed Snape a couple of times before Order meetings (He was the Order's spy in Voldemort's ranks), but, luckily, Snape never noticed him. Harry still didn't understand how Snape agreed to have him in his N.E.W.T Potions class, but he was grateful for it nonetheless.

As everybody finished eating, Dumbledore arose once again. "After this splendid meal, I'd like to welcome you all back to Hogwarts, and to greet our new students. As usual, I have a few announces to make: You all should remember that the Forbidden Forest is, despite its name, forbidden to everyone. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch would like to remind you that there are many items banned from the castle. The list, which now includes many Weasley Wizard Wheezes products," (Harry and Ron grinned,) "can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office. Also, students are not allowed to do magic in corridors. On a happier note, I am pleased to say that all the Educational Decrees that were given last year by Dolores Umbridge are no longer valid." When he said it, everybody started clapping, and some of the students whistled. Many teachers smiled, and McGonagall applauded along with the students. "Now, I'm glad to introduce our new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher – Professor Athena Ostir." The staff and students applauded politely, and Harry could hear some murmuring in the crowd, as the new teacher smiled. Hermione whispered excitedly, "Do you know who that is?" When she saw the puzzled looks on Ron and Harry's faces, she said, "She wrote lots of books about Defence – they're all in the library. Oh, come on," she added, when Ron raised a brow, "You probably used them yourself lots of times, without even knowing who wrote it." 

The hall fell silent as Dumbledore continued. "The Quidditch tryouts will be held next week." Yet again, the students started murmuring excitedly. But Dumbledore's next words silenced them down. "I must speak now of something very serious. As you all know, Lord Voldemort has returned." Many students recoiled or gasped when they heard the name. "I can assure you that our school is well protected, but nevertheless, you must be alert and cautious. If you see anything suspicious, alert a teacher, or at least a prefect, immediately. Nobody is allowed out of the castle after dinner, unless it is due to Quidditch practices, which will be supervised by Madam Hooch. I hope you understand the importance of those measures, that are imposed for your own safety." Dumbledore scanned the crowd, and nodded. "Now, you must be tired, so have a good night and a peaceful sleep."

Everybody started to get up, and move towards the exit to the Entrance Hall. Hermione started calling the first years towards her, helped by the new fifth-year prefects and by a reluctant Ron. Harry wondered whether he should go with them, but just then, he heard his name being called.

"Potter!" called Prof. McGonagall over the heads of the Griffindor students, "Come here, please!"

Harry approached her hesitantly, wondering what he could have done wrong already. However, McGonagall smiled pleasantly. "I daresay that Griffindor's Quidditch Captain should not be left without his first-class broom," she said. "Follow me, Potter." Harry followed her to her office, walking lightly – finally, after almost a year, he would be getting his Firebolt back. When he walked inside the office and she handed him his broom, he grabbed it quickly. "Careful now, Potter. Well, you can go to the Common Room, the password is '_Phoenix tears_'."

Harry walked so fast, that he barely noticed how he got to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Panting, he said the password and walked inside. A couple of people in the room cheered when they saw him the Firebolt. "Hey, Harry, you're back on the team!" said Colin Creevey happily. "That's great!"

"Thanks, Colin," said Harry and went towards the staircase to the bedrooms quickly, not eager for a chat with Colin at all. 

When he entered his bedroom, Harry felt that he was back home. After a quick chat with the other boys – Dean, Seamus, Neville, and, of course, Ron – he climbed on his bed, and soon fell asleep.

A\N: I make Harry sleep too much….. Never mind… I know the chapter wasn't too long, but at least I updated. So – review. 

Also, thanks to all the reviewers: Brandon, Tamar Piper, Mara Angel, chiliz (as always), SorryBackOff, bouou, dancer891234567789. THANK YOU! 


	12. New teacher, NewT classes

Disclaimer: This is the last time I write it – I've said enough times that I do not own any HP characters, so everybody should be aware of this by now.

A/N: I know, I know, it took a lot of time and you all hate me for that. I know how annoying it is when authors update slowly, but I don't have enough time…. However, your reviews make me do it a little bit faster (HINT: REVIEW if you want me to update sooner). This chapter is a little bit longer, is that good enough? (I know it isn't, you don't have to look at me like that – especially you, chiliz *grins*)

Chapter 12: New teacher, New(T) classes

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Pass me the butter," said Ron. It was the first day back, and Harry and his friends only now arrived to the Great Hall for breakfast. 

"You should say 'Please'," noted Hermione.

"Oh, come on, don't start lecturing me about manners," answered Ron, annoyed.

"I'm not _lecturing_, Ron!" she said angrily.

"Are they ever going to stop fighting?" said Harry with a sigh to Ginny, who came to sit near them.

"I don't think so… Oh, look, the new timetables!" said Ginny brightly. Ron and Hermione both stopped arguing, and turned to her. She passed the timetables, and Harry took his, interested. 

"Oh, no," he groaned. "Double Potions – first lesson of the week! What a nightmare…"

"You should have dropped it, like I did, shouldn't you? Lucky me," said Ron, "I don't have to listen to Snape anymore. _And_, I have these two periods free – I can do whatever I like!"

"Well, I couldn't drop it - I want to be an Auror," said Harry. "Besides, I have the first two lessons tomorrow free – what've you got there?"

"Care of Magical Creatures first, and then a free period. I don't get why you dropped Care of Magical Creatures – it's easy, and Hagrid'll be disappointed."

"Don't worry, he'll understand. Oh, wait, does it mean the three of us have a free period all together?" asked Harry.

"No," said Hermione, sounding delighted, "I have Arithmancy. But I have Potions with you and Care of Magical Creatures with Ron, so we'll be together in the lessons."

"At least I'm not alone with Snape and the Slytherins," said Harry, relieved.

"You wouldn't be alone anyway," replied Hermione, "in most of the N.E.W.T classes the four houses are together. We only have Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws, and Charms – alone." 

"We've never had a lesson with the Ravenclaws before, I wonder how it'll be," said Ron thoughtfully.

"You'll find out tomorrow, we have Transfiguration just before lunch," said Harry, looking at his timetable again. "Hey, we have our first Defence lesson today! We'll be able to see how the new teacher is – what's her name, again?"

"Athena Ostir," said Hermione in a voice that suggested she was shocked by the fact he didn't remember her name. 

"Are you ever going to pass me that butter?" interrupted Ron.

~*~*~*~

"See you later," said Ron, walking in the direction of the Griffindor common room. Harry and Hermione turned towards the dungeons. When they arrived to the Potions classroom, a few Ravenclaws were standing there, chatting. 

"Is there any chance that Malfoy isn't here?" said Harry hopefully.

"You wish, Potter," said a drawling voice behind him. Draco Malfoy was coming down the corridor, accompanied, as always, by Crabbe and Goyle. More students were coming after them. "But what are _you_ doing here, exactly? Don't tell me you passed your Potions O.W.L," said Malfoy. 

"It can't be," whispered Hermione, ignoring Malfoy, "Surely Goyle couldn't get an 'O' in Potions – we sat the practical exam together, and his potion was brown, instead of blue, _and_ he spilled half of it on the examiner."

"Maybe, but he's in Snape's house, _and_ he's Malfoy's friend," muttered Harry quietly.

"But it's so unfair!"

"Yeah, well, since when Snape's been fair?" said Harry sarcastically. Hermione was about to say something, but just then, Snape opened the door to his dungeon, looking as sour as always. Everybody sat down quickly – nobody wanted to mess with Snape. Ernie McMillan, the only Hufflepuff in this class, joined Harry and Hermione. 

"All of you have chosen to study Potions as one of your N.E.W.T classes," said Snape coldly. "I warn you now – if you do not intend to put all possible efforts in this class, you'd better leave it now. I have no intentions to teaching idiots who are not going to succeed here," he looked directly at Harry. Malfoy sniggered. 

"Oh, right, and Goyle is going to succeed wonderfully," muttered Harry under his breath when Snape turned around. Ernie stifled a laugh. 

"Today we are making a relatively simple Memory Potion. Potter, what is the most important ingredient in Memory Potions?" 

But if Snape thought that he could catch Harry off his guard, this time he was wrong. Since he had to do well in Potions this year, in order to continue studying it, Harry prepared himself beforehand – during the summer, he read parts of his Potions book, encouraged by Hermione ("Personally, I think you're crazy," said Ron, but Harry didn't mind). And so, he knew the answer to Snape's question.

"Jobberknoll feathers, sir."

Snape was taken aback – he obviously didn't expect Harry to know it. Within a fleeting second, however, he regained his composure, and turned to Malfoy, instead.

"Draco, why are the Jobberknoll feathers so important?"

Harry hoped that Malfoy wouldn't know the answer, but his hopes, once again, didn't come true.

"Because the Jobberknoll has a unique memory – it remembers every sound it has ever heard in its life," said Malfoy smugly.

"Very good, ten points to Slytherin. Potter, don't look at me that way – five points from Griffindor."

Now, Harry was stunned. He wasn't surprised much by the fact that Snape gave Malfoy points, but he didn't do anything at all – there was no reason at all to duck points from Gryffindor, he wasn't even looking at Snape. In his head, he heard the same words he said to Hermione earlier: _Yeah, well, since when Snape's been fair_. Yet, he spent the rest of the lesson in a bad mood, and almost ruined his potion by adding a peacock's feather instead of the Joberknoll's. However, the colour of his potion was close enough to that of Hermione's potion, and that cheered him up a bit.

He was still sulky when they met up with Ron, and started walking to the DADA class. Ron was in a good mood. "I spent those hours flying in the pitch, I was all alone, and I could do whatever I want, and –"

"Ron! Dumbledore told us that it's not safe, what if a Death Eater managed to get inside the school, you could've been killed!" said Hermione.

"You always have to spoil everything, don't you? It's not like the school's not protected or anything… Besides, most of the Death Eaters are in Azkaban anyway, and nothing has happened for two months," answered Ron.

"Your friend is quite right, Mr. … Weasley, perhaps?" said a feminine voice behind them. Professor Ostir was behind them, half-smiling. Ron muttered something like 'Sure', while Hermione was blushing. "Well, into the class," said Prof. Ostir, opening the door. They went inside, and sat together in the second row. In the next minutes, the class filled in, and Harry was surprised to see how many students chose to study the subject. Even most of the Slytherins were here, which surprised Harry even more.

"Why is he studying Defence _against_ the Dark Arts? He's the one who's _using_ them," said Ron quietly, indicating Malfoy. Harry didn't have a chance to answer, because Prof. Ostir started speaking.

"Welcome to advanced Defence! In this times, it is especially important to study this subject, in order to be able to protect yourself against attacks of the Lord Voldemort and his supporters." There was a collective shudder when she mentioned Voldemort's name. Harry was surprised (once again) that she did it – he only heard members of the Order saying his name out loud, and even then, not all of them did it. Harry also could have sworn that when she said "his supporters", her eyes flickered towards Malfoy.

"I know that last year most of you didn't have any practical lessons," (The DA members who were present, smiled), "so this year we'll be emphasizing practical Defence. Today, we'll start with some basic review of important spells."

The first lesson was somewhat similar to the first DA sessions. Obviously, everybody who was in DA had no problems at all, while the others weren't so successful. Unfortunately, Malfoy managed to do everything he was asked. ("His father probably taught him everything before going to Azkaban," muttered Ron darkly, while disarming Harry and Hermione with a single spell). However, it was Harry who got fifteen points for Gryffindor, for "Excellent work," as Prof. Ostir said. 

As the bell rang, everybody started to move towards the exit. Prof. Ostir called, "No homework for today, but be prepared for a lot of practical work next time. Mr. Potter, if you could come here, please." Wondering what was it all about, Harry approached her nervously. 

"I have been told that you were giving practical Defence lessons last year," said the teacher. Harry nodded. "It is obvious that you have an ability for this subject. Could you please tell me the names of the students who studied with you?"

Harry hesitated. Professor Ostir seemed a good teacher and everything, but how safe is it to tell her what she wanted? However, he didn't have to think about it much.

"It is quite alright," said a familiar voice behind him. Harry turned and saw Dumbledore standing in the doors. "You can tell Prof. Ostir, it will be safe, I assure you," he said, smiling, and turned to leave. _That was weird_, thought Harry.

~*~*~*~

Ten minutes later, he joined his friends in the Great Hall.

"What'd she want?" asked Ron.

"The names of the DA members. Dumbledore appeared out of nowhere and told me to tell her, so I did," shrugged Harry, piling food on his plate. He didn't even begin eating, when he heard someone calling his name. 

"What is it with them today? Everyone wants something from me," he said indignantly, turning around and seeing Prof. McGonagall calling him. 

After returning, however, he was in a completely different mood. "She said that the tryouts for the Gryffindor team would be on Friday, and that a notice is already on the board in the common room! We're going to pick our new players!" said Harry happily, talking to Ron. "You'll help me with it, won't you? 'Cause I can't do it alone…"

"Yeah, sure," Ron looked happy about it. "Are you coming?" he stood up, as he has already finished eating.

"But I'm starving…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Poor Harry – he can't even eat properly…. *grins*

Next chapter – the Quidditch tryouts. I wish I could promise that it'll be posted soon, but I can't promise anything… :-(  I'm sorry….  But I do promise that some action will start very soon (As soon as I start posting more chapters, anyway). 

Also, lots of thanks to those who reviewed – **Chiliz** (of course), **Remus J Lupin, Carmel March, Iniysa, Dada-wild, Sasinak, Lily Skylo, Elf, Fresh-AngelBabe. Thank you!!__**

Bla bla, review!! (Remember my hint? Good!) 


	13. Quidditch tryouts

A/N: OK, about the names of the people – I'm sorry if they sound stupid in any possible way, but I suck at inventing names, so you'll have to deal with that. If you have a better suggestion for a name (even yours, if you want to), just say so in your review (by the way, make sure you review) and I'll be more than happy to change it. 

Chapter 13: Quidditch tryouts

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was Friday morning, and Harry was very nervous. After school, he was supposed to choose the new Gryffindor Quidditch players, and he was sure that something'd go wrong. Sure, he was a good player, but that didn't mean he could do well as a captain – what was McGonagall thinking when she appointed him?

"She thought that somebody who proved that he could teach others and somebody who was the youngest seeker in a century, would also be able to be the team captain," said Hermione when Harry finally told her what was bothering him. "It's not like it's the first time that you lead other people, what are you worried about?"

"You're probably right," muttered Harry, "I have nothing to worry about…"

But saying it was one thing, and feeling it was another. The day's lessons passed slowly, and he couldn't concentrate on anything other than the Quidditch tryouts. On his and Ron's free hour (Hermione had Arithmancy), Ron suggested that they'd go down to visit Hagrid. Harry almost refused, but then thought that it might relieve the tension he was in, and agreed. 

"It's you!" said Hagrid cheerfully, when he opened his cabin's door and saw them. "Abou' time, I wondered where you'd been. Come'n, I'll make tea."

"Thanks, Hagrid. Hey, how's Grawp?" asked Harry, suddenly remembering Hagrid's smaller brother.

"Yeh should see him, he's already sayin' whole sentences!" Hagrid went on talking about Grawp for what seemed like hours. Then they talked about school – just like Harry thought, Hagrid was OK with the fact that he dropped Care of Magical Creatures. Harry has already managed to forget about the trials, but then Hagrid said, "But enough abou' this, yeh're havin' the Quidditch tryouts today, don't yeh?" 

"Yes," said Harry miserably. "And I'm going to suck as a captain."

During the next ten minutes, Hagrid tried desperately to convince Harry that everything will be fine and that he has nothing to worry about. Needless to say, he failed, and when Harry and Ron left his cabin, Harry was all anxious. He could barely eat something during the dinner, and left the Great Hall shortly after arriving there. He, Ron and Ginny quickly got their brooms from their dormitories, and went to the Quidditch pitch. Madam Hooch was already there, but none of the students has come yet. 

"You see, I told you something would go wrong," said Harry desperately. "Nobody wants to come – it's just the three of us."

"Are you out of your mind?" asked Ginny. "We're half an hour earlier than we should be, there's still enough time for them to come. In the meantime, I want you to test me, so I can be in the team."

"You're already in the team, what are you talking about?" said Ron.

"Yes, but I want it to be fair – I should be tried for the position of the Chaser," said Ginny.

"Whatever," shrugged Harry apathetically, "we have to wait anyway, let's do it now. Ron, you go and keep, and Ginny will try to score. I'll be a chaser too, you can't play one on one." Ron and Ginny mounted their brooms, and Harry took the Quaffle out of its box and threw it over to Ginny. He then took his Firebolt, and felt it vibrating slightly. He mounted it, and kicked off the ground. The feeling was wonderful – he only now realized how badly he missed flying. He flew around the pitch, and returned to the hoops, where Ron and Ginny were already in play. 

"I'm here," he yelled soaring through the air towards them.

"About time," Ginny shouted, throwing him the Quaffle, "I thought you left me to face him alone." Harry caught the Quaffle swiftly and turned towards the right hoop. However, Ron was already there, facing him and grinning. Harry threw the ball back to Ginny, who threw it into the hoop, but Ron was quick – he caught the Quaffle easily. They continued playing for ten minutes. Ginny scored twice and Harry scored once, but apart from that, Ron saved every ball. The game was enjoying, and when they landed, laughing, they saw that a couple of people were already sitting in the stands nearby. Fifteen minutes later, ten people were assembled there, waiting restlessly, each one of them holding a broom. When Harry started speaking, he didn't even remember his anxiousness – he was still euphoric from the game. 

"All right, everyone, gather here. I'm Harry Potter, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and Seeker. This," he indicated Ron, "is Ron Weasley, our excellent Keeper, and this," he pointed on Ginny, "is Ginny Weasley, one of our Chasers. Today we'll be picking two more Chasers and two Beaters. Now, I want everyone to tell me his or her name and year, and what position he or she is willing to take. Obviously, only four of you will be chosen, but we might also choose somebody to be a substitute player. OK?" Harry looked around. Everybody was nodding, and Harry could see how nervous all of them were. One by one, they approached Harry and the Weasleys.

"Hi, I'm Dora Wood," said a small girl that approached them. She seemed to be almost the only one who seemed confident in herself. "I'm in the second year, and I want to be a Chaser," she said conversationally.

"Wood? Are you Oliver's relative?" asked Harry.

"His sister," she smiled.

"Really? Well, good luck. Who's next?" he asked as Dora Wood moved aside.

"I'm Simon Peterson, fifth year, and I'd like to be a Beater," said the next boy, winking to Ginny. Next, came Lucy Starlight from third year, who wanted to be a Chaser, and then Christopher Klerist from the fourth year, who wanted to be a Chaser as well.

"Hello to you, I'm Triny Dovellyn, from fifth year, and I'm here to try for the Beater position. But I can play any other position, if you want to," said a tall girl with wavy black hair. Harry was surprised – girls usually didn't play as beaters. _But she must be a good player_, he thought, _if she says that she can play any position_. After Triny came Jerry Trest and Will Nimfenius, both from fourth year and intending to try for a Beater, too, and afterwards came Natalie McDonald from third year, Euan Abercrombie from second year and Coral Miller from fourth year, all of whom wanted to be Chasers. 

"Ok, so we have… six Chasers and four Beaters – oh, that's excellent. We'll split you into two teams, and then you'll play against each other. Ron and Ginny will be the Keepers. Now, the teams, will be… let me see… Coral, Natalie, Euan, Jerry and Simon will be with Ron, and Lucy, Dora, Christopher, Will and Triny will be with Ginny. Everybody understood? Good," he said as everyone murmured in agreement, "let's go then."

The game has started. Harry was in the air, watching the players in play. Soon, he could already tell who were the best players – Dora had her brother's talent for Quidditch, Triny was indeed as good as she said she was, and Jerry was an excellent Beater, too. A few minutes passed, and Harry was having troubles to decide who will be the last Chaser – Natalie and Christopher were both flying very well, and both of them were good as Chasers. _I'll see what Ron has to say about it, and then I'll decide,_ he thought to himself. Suddenly, he felt a painful twinge in his scar. He landed, clutching his scar, but a second later the pain was gone. _I should get used to it_, he thought, _it won't be getting better anytime soon._

"Ok, everybody, that's enough," he shouted shortly afterwards, forgetting about the scar. "Ron, Ginny, come here. So," he said when they got nearer, "What'd you think?" 

"That Triny girl was amazing," said Ron, "I never saw a girl who could be such a Beater before. And Simon was pretty good, too."

"Yeah, Triny is great," smiled Ginny, "I saw her playing even better than she played now."

"I've already decided to take her," said Harry, "And I also decided to take Dora Wood and Jerry Trest. Simon will be the substitute Beater, I think. I need your help with the last Chaser – should we take Christopher or Natalie?"

"Natalie" "Christopher"

Harry laughed. "Great, that's a lot of help. You know what, I think it'll be Natalie – she did score that last one, it was quite surprising."

"When you're right, you're right – I didn't expect her to turn to the left that quickly, I was going to the right," said Ginny, frowning. 

"Fine, so it's decided – Natalie will be the Chaser and Christopher will be the substitute," said Harry. "Are you OK with that, Ron?"

"What? Oh, yeah, sure," said Ron, who was staring at Triny.

"Ron, stop it, she's my friend," said Ginny indignantly.

"So what? You had a crush on my friend, as well," said Ron. Ginny blushed, but didn't say anything. 

Harry was gathering everyone around him. "First of all, I'd like to say that all of you played very well today, and I wish I could take you all on the team. But I can't. So, if you weren't chosen, please don't be upset – it doesn't mean that you can't play Quidditch, it only means that the rules should be changed, so that there'd be thirteen players on the team." Most of the people laughed. "Right, so the new players are Dora, Natalie, Jerry and Triny, and our substitutes are Simon and Christopher. We'll let you know about the first training, so be prepared. Thank you all, and goodbye!"

The students who didn't get on the team headed towards the castle, and the others hang behind to thank Harry. Ginny and Ron waked Madam Hooch, who was asleep all that time, and they returned to the dormitories.

~*~*~*~*~

"So, how was it?" asked Hermione during breakfast next morning.

"It was great," beamed Harry. "I think we'll have a superb team."

"I don't want to say 'I told you so', but I told you so," said Hermione, smiling. "What're we going to do today?"

"I dunno, but not homework," said Ron. "Anything but homework."

"Come on, Ron, you have lots of it, you have to do it now, or you'll regret it."

"I didn't notice that you're getting the paper again," said Ron, ignoring Hermione's last comment, as a big brown owl landed on the table, carrying an issue of the Daily Prophet.

"Well, you never notice such things, do you?" said Hermione, opening the paper. Next, she was gaping at the front page, looking horror-struck. "Not again," she whispered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: He he he he he…. *evil Voldemort laugh* We'll leave it here, shall we? 

Originally, I intended to put the Quidditch tryouts in the 12th chapter, and to write chapter 13 about the nice cliffhanger that I left you. But then, I wanted to post the previous chapter ASAP, so I decided to write both about the tryouts and about the ****** (I won't tell you what it is) in this chapter, and to make it really long. But _then_, as I was writing the last lines, I saw that it's long enough to post it, and I thought that it'd be much more interesting to put in an evil cliffie. So I did. And don't forget – I gave you a reason to review, so do it! Then maybe you won't have to wait that long to find out what happened. 


	14. Escape

A/N: First of all, I'd like to say that I hate computers – of all times, my computer broke just as I was about to finish this chapter, leaving you in suspense for a while. So blame my computer for the delay.

Chapter 14: Escape

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Well, you never notice such things, do you?" said Hermione, opening the paper. Next, she was gaping at the front page, looking horror-struck. "Not again," she whispered.

"What is it?" said Harry and Ron together, both alarmed.

Hermione couldn't speak. "Give me the paper," stated Ron. He grabbed the paper, and he and Harry stared at the headline: **The captured Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban – Ministry of Magic speechless.**

Now it was Harry's turn to grab the paper from Ron. He scanned the article – "The Death Eaters… Captured in June, with the help of Harry Potter… Escaped from Azkaban last evening… The names of the escapers… Malfoy… Macnair… Rookwood… Lestrange… Crabbe… Goyle… Nott… Jugson… Dolohov… Avery… Mulciber… Probably joined He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named… The Ministry of Magic asked the magical community to be extremely cautious… It was stated that Aurors are already searching for the prisoners… When asked about the way of escape, the Minister replied… 'No comments'…"

Harry raised his eyes from the paper. Ron was pale, and Hermione wasn't able to speak at all. He looked around the Great Hall. He could see some students, who, like Hermione, were getting the Daily Prophet, and were now reading it with fear in their eyes, or else discussing it quietly with their friends. 

"What happened?" asked Dean Thomas, who just came down to eat his breakfast. Without saying a word, Harry gave him the paper, and saw him collapsing on the chair. Seamus Finnigan, who came next, started swearing when Dean showed him the headline silently. But Neville's reaction was the most unpredictable of all. Upon seeing the Prophet, he gasped and stormed out of the Hall, without any breakfast. 

"Where did he go?" asked Harry quietly. Nobody answered, and Ron only shrugged.

Gradually, more and more students heard the news. That day, the whole school was buzzing, and as it was Saturday, nobody dared to think about studying. Even Hermione didn't insist on their homework. They were sitting outside on the grass, saying a word here and there.

"I should have known that something happened," muttered Harry darkly.

"Why?" asked Ron sharply.

"My scar hurt last night during the tryouts, but I thought it was nothing, it passed quickly. I didn't even feel _his_ emotions…" answered Harry.

Hermione raised her head. "Do you know what that means?"

"What?" said Harry, surprised that Hermione could find something extraordinary in this.

"It probably means that the Occlumency is working," she said, "Otherwise you would probably have had a vision of Voldemort, or something like that. When they escaped last year it was much worse, wasn't it?"

"Yes, I guess so. But maybe he just learned to block his emotions, so that I wouldn't sense them," said Harry, thinking pessimistically.

"I don't think he can do that," said Hermione.

"Are you forgetting who we're talking about? It's _Voldemort_!!! He can do anything he wants to!"

"Can you stop saying his name?" jumped Ron suddenly.

"Can you _start_ saying his name???" said Harry angrily. "If people are afraid of saying it, it only makes him stronger, can't you see?"

"Harry is right," said a voice from behind. Neville approached them, looking pensive. "If we start saying 'Voldemort', we'll destroy him more easily."

They looked at him in surprise. It wasn't at all like Neville to talk that way, and even more – to say Voldemort's name. "What?" he said when he saw that they were staring at him. 

"No, it's just… You're different," said Hermione quietly.

"Oh, that's right, poor Neville is always scared, and needs someone to protect him, doesn't he? I'm not like that anymore," said Neville angrily, "not after last year – _I_'ll do _anything_ that is needed to catch those ----," he swore, "And I'll do it alone if I have to." He turned away from them and strode off to the castle.

"What is it with him?" said Ron, taken aback.

"He wants revenge, and he wants to fight," said Harry grimly. "And I can't blame him for it, it's my fault – I was the one who dragged him to the Ministry. I was the one who dragged all of you to the Ministry – I shouldn't have… If I hadn't been so stupid, none of this would have happened – Neville wouldn't be like he is now, and Sirius – "

"Harry, you can't blame yourself for everything that happened! In case you forgot, you didn't _drag_ anybody to the Ministry, we all _wanted_ to come along! And I don't think that what happened to Neville is such a bad thing – quite the opposite!" said Hermione.

"Easy for you to say 'Don't blame yourself' – you weren't the one who decided that Voldemort got Sirius, you weren't the one who wanted to go to the Ministry in the first place! You weren't the one who didn't practise Occlumency, so you aren't the cause for Sirius's death!! All of you keep saying 'Don't blame yourself', but how can I not blame myself, if it _is_ my fault???" shouted Harry furiously.  

"Harry, calm down, please," begged Hermione.

"Sure. Whatever. I'm calm," said Harry, now in a complete lethargy. _What is the point of getting mad at them? They won't ever understand._

"Let's go, it's time for lunch," said Ron carefully, clearly afraid that they would start arguing again. Harry shrugged, and followed him into the Great Hall.

~*~*~*~

"Life _is_ good, isn't it?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione were on their way to the common room, when they heard those words from a sideway corridor. Harry froze. "Malfoy," he whispered, his voice full of hatred.

"Finally, there'll be some real action going on," said Malfoy. Harry could hear Crabbe's grunt, and Goyle's stupid laughter. Next moment, they went out of the corridor, facing Harry and his friends. 

"Thinking you're smart just because daddy and his idiotic friends escaped, are you?" said Harry, wanting to be the first to say anything.

"At least I have a father, Potter," smirked Malfoy, "And one who isn't foolish enough to get himself killed."

Harry felt his face going hot. "It's only a matter of time until they're caught, Malfoy, and you know it."

"No, it's only a matter of time before the Dark Lord wins, and then, hopefully, we won't be seeing _her_ anymore," he nodded in Hermione's direction. A second later, three flashes of light could be seen, and Malfoy was on the floor, unconscious. Crabbe and Goyle started to move threateningly in Harry's direction, but before they could do anything, there were quick footsteps nearby. 

"Detention, all three of you," said Snape coldly, striding forward.

~*~*~*~

A/N: Short? Probably. Interesting? That's for you to decide. Myself, I'm not sure whether I like this chapter, especially its end, but it's the best I could do right now, and I didn't want to leave the evil cliffie from the previous chapter un-answered. 

How exciting, I'm getting so close to 100 reviews!! So please, make me happy, let's make it 110 reviews, OK? 

Love you, bye bye,

Anna.  


	15. Detention and Quidditch

A\N: Before you start shouting – I was on a school trip, so I couldn't write. If you want to know (And even if you don't) – yes, it was fun (Let's ignore the fact that 90% of the students got drunk, and everything'll be fine. Why am I telling you this, for crying out loud??)

Also, many many many thanks to those of you who reviewed – especially StarRuby, who reviewed every single chapter, and became my 100th reviewer! I still can't believe that I have 126 reviews! Thank you all, you're the best!!!!!

Anyway, on to the chapter – which, I must say, was unplanned, and I got the idea for it only five minutes ago. (Note to myself: Stop telling them unimportant details!!)

_***This chapter is dedicated to StarRuby, the 100th reviewer of this story!***_

Chapter 15: Detention and Quidditch

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"I can't believe it! I just can't believe it! That stupid git! And he's not even my teacher!" said Ron angrily, as the continued walking to the common room. 

"We _did_ curse Malfoy, you know, it's not exactly following the rules," said Hermione reasonably.

"So what? He got what he deserved! Besides, his _little friends_ were _this_ close to killing us, why didn't _they_ get a detention??"

"Ron, you know it's useless, stop it," said Hermione. 

"Harry, what do you think?" asked Ron, hoping to find support.

"I'm trying to guess just how bad this detention would be," said Harry bitterly. "Then again, can't be as bad as Umbridge, can it? Come to think about it, when was the last time we had a detention with Snape?"

"Er… fourth year, you know, when we…"

"Weren't talking, yeah," Harry completed the sentence. "It wasn't too hard then. Maybe it won't be that bad after all…"

But it was. Their detention was on Sunday ("Is it even legal?" cried Ron indignantly), and they approached Snape's dungeon uneasily, hoping for the best. "Enter!" sounded the cold voice when they knocked on the door. When they entered, he was sitting at his desk, checking homework. Harry could see a large "D" written on the topmost piece of parchment. Not even raising his head, Snape commanded them – "Granger, start cleaning the cauldrons; Weasley – you can do the tables. When you finish, proceed to the floor. I want it gleaming. Hand me your wands, you won't be needing them during the next few hours. Potter, come with me." He stood up, and led the way out of the class. With a last glance at his friends, Harry followed. They went all along the corridor, until they came to a halt in front of one of the dungeons, where Harry had never been before. He followed Snape inside the dungeon, which looked like a particularly large storage room. All around it were large cabinets. There was a single desk, without any chairs, and upon it was a massive cauldron, full of some hissing liquid. Next to the desk stood a tall pile of large boxes that contained, as far as Harry could see, lots of small glass phials. One of those phials was already on the desk, full of the same hissing liquid. 

"Your job is to fill every single phial with this potion, in the _exact_ amount. You have a sample here, and I want them all to be identical to the sample – not a single drop more or less. In the end, all of the phials should be in perfect order in this cabinet," Snape indicated the furthest cabinet, which was open. "Here's a dropper you can use. Now, give me your wand, and start working – I won't let you out until you've finished."

Harry took out his wand, and asked, trying to be as polite as possible, "Please, Sir, can I have a chair?"

"No," was the answer, and a second later he was locked alone in the cold dungeon.

A few hours later, Harry was sure that he must have become a zombie. He spent all that time transferring the unknown purple liquid from the cauldron to the phials, checking and double-checking that the amount was right, and then moving the full phials to the far cabinet. He was numb from the cold air and from the tiring work, not to mention the fact that he did it all standing. Eventually, he took the last phial, and filled it with the potion. Just as he started walking towards the cabinet, the last bottle in his hands, the door suddenly opened. Not expecting it, he flinched, and the bottle of potion fell on the floor and shattered to pieces. 

"Five points from Gryffindor, Potter – no one told you to shatter the bottle, quite the contrary," sounded Snape's voice behind him. "_Evanesco._" The bottle and its spilled contents disappeared. "And you can thank me for not making you clean it up yourself. Take your wand – you're dismissed."

Grabbing the wand, Harry went wordlessly out of the dungeon and started dragging himself in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. There, he found Ron and Hermione who were as exhausted as he was. Throwing himself on the couch, he closed his eyes and groaned. 

"What did he make you do?" asked Hermione, struggling for breath. When he told them what he was doing these hours, she gasped. "He's crossing all the lines, it's impossible. You should have seen what he did to us, he made us polish the same things ten times." It was quite unusual to see Hermione complaining about a teacher, and that proved to Harry just how bad that detention was. All of them went to bed early that evening, not able to do anything else. 

The next week passed quietly enough, without any special incidents. A vicious plant almost bit Hermione during Herbology; Ron accidentally transfigured his own bag on Transfiguration, and Prof. Ostir started teaching them shield charms on Defence Against the Dark Arts. In fact, Harry thought that she was one of the best Defence teachers he has ever had – apart from Lupin and Moody (Who turned out to be an imposter, but taught them well anyway). He decided that he didn't need to set up the DA once more, as she taught them everything they needed anyway.

"You're probably right," said Hermione, when he told her and Ron about his decision. 

"Yes, and we'll have more time to dedicate to Quidditch practice," added Ron. 

"Speaking of which, I'm thinking about doing a first practice this Thursday, what d'you think?" asked Harry.

"Sure!" said Ron enthusiastically. "Let's go and tell everyone about it!"

~*~*~*~

That Thursday, the team, including the substitute players, assembled in the Quidditch pitch, under the (not so) watchful eye of Madam Hooch. 

"OK, everyone, let's start with a warm-up – let's just throw the Quaffle between us," called Harry as everyone mounted his or her brooms. After the warm-up, he called them down. "Well done, and now let's start playing for real. Let me think for a moment… Ok, we'll split into two teams again – Ron, Dora, Natalie and Jerry will be on one team, playing their normal positions, and Ginny, Christopher and Simon will be on the other team, while Triny will be the Keeper for this team for a while. So each team will have two Chasers, a Beater and a Keeper. I'll watch you for a while and then maybe I'll look for the Snitch, we'll see. Are we fine with that?" When everyone agreed, he took off and called, "What're you waiting for? Let's go!" Madam Hooch released the balls and they started playing. Harry hanged in the air for a few minutes, watching the game, but it was obvious that the players didn't need his supervision – they were playing good, and were enjoying it. Triny was, just like she said, able to play any position – she was good as a Keeper. Harry had a feeling that if Ron could, he'd fly closer to the opposite hoops, to try and glimpse her more, but he kept this thought to himself, smiling. At some point, he started looking for the Snitch. Half an hour later, after he caught it, the practice ended, and everybody went off to the changing rooms. 

~*~*~*~

Finished. This chapter went better than I expected – once I started writing, it sort of flowed. 

Now, I know that I'm repeating myself, but I'd like to thank again to my reviewers: **Rathien1, Kemenran, Mahikah, StarRuby, HPFreak, PrincessSkywalkerOrgana, Queen Cari, I love Sirius73, Susan B, Elviriel, Sasinak, Iniysa, Chiliz, Aliba** (Where did I add a new Gryffindor girl??), **Remus J Lupin**. THANK YOU!

See you in the next chapter (Can't promise when it'll be)!!

Anna.


	16. The first attack

A\N: You have all the right to shout, scream and yell at me. You really do. I had no excuse whatsoever to delay this chapter, especially as I had most of it written a long time ago… But, but, but  – you should have reviewed more, you know you should… Anyway, thanks to those who did review: **Iniysa, StarRuby** (You're trying to find hidden meanings too much ;) ), **Queen Cari**, **Kemenran, Urania, chiliz, Lion of Gryffindor.**

OK, enough with the babbling, and on to the chapter:

Chapter 16: The first attack

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"Hey, let's go visit Hagrid!" suggested Ron. He and Harry were having a free period, while Hermione was in Arithmancy, and they were looking for something to do.

"Yeah, let's go," said Harry enthusiastically, "I haven't seen him for a while now."

They went down to the Entrance hall, and went outside to the grounds. The weather was fine at first, but it started raining just as they went out, so they ran all the way to Hagrid's cabin as fast as they could.

"Hagrid, let us in before we get soaked," called Ron, banging on the door.

"Comin'!" sounded Hagrid's voice, and next moment he let them in.

"What're you doin' outside in this weather?" he asked.

"We've come to see you," said Ron. "We don't have anything else to do."

"On'y don't tell me tha' you don't have any homework," said Hagrid half-seriously.

"Emmm…It can wait," said Ron defensively.

"Don't let Hermione hear you say that," winked Hagrid. "Anyway, want something to eat?" 

"Er… no, thanks, Hagrid, we had breakfast not long ago," said Harry. As much as he liked Hagrid, it was almost impossible to eat the food he made.

They were talking for a while, just as something unexpected happened. Suddenly, Harry's scar started hurting badly, the way it didn't hurt for a long time already. In his head, he could hear the now-familiar cold voice: "_Kill them!_"

Far ahead, he was hearing Ron and Hagrid's anxious voices calling his name. "Harry! Harry! What is it?" 

"My scar," he whispered through the pain. Slowly, the pain receded, and he opened his eyes, though his vision was still blurred. It felt like waking up after a nightmare – he was breathing heavily, and felt nauseous. Hagrid and Ron were looking at him in concern, and Ron looked scared.

"Is it You-Know-Who? Did you have a vision? What happened?" he asked.

"Not a vision – I heard him – he ordered to kill somebody – more than one person," muttered Harry. 

"Harry, yeh should tell Dumbledore," said Hagrid, who was very pale. "Come'n, Ron, help me take him there."

"It's all right, I can walk," said Harry, but as he stood up, he swayed, and almost collapsed on the chair. His head was dizzy, and the nausea hasn't passed yet. 

"You know what, I'll go and call Dumbledore. Yeh stay here, and don't go anywhere," said Hagrid worriedly. "Ron, stay with him." He emerged out of his cabin, and strode towards the castle, ignoring the pouring rain that was outside now. 

Shortly afterwards, he was back, along with Dumbledore. 

"What happened, Harry?" asked Dumbledore, sharply and softly at once. 

"My scar hurt, and I heard Voldemort saying 'Kill them'," said Harry, still feeling shaky. "I didn't see anything… But he was feeling… I dunno, relaxed… He wasn't angry or happy or anything, just… calm."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "How do you feel now?" he asked.

"Like I'm sick," Harry swallowed. "But it's been that way before. I'll be alright, I guess." 

"Are you sure?" Harry nodded. "Well, I'm sure you understand – I must leave you now, check if anything happened. Stay here for a while, and you can be dismissed from the rest of your lessons today, if you want to."

"Thanks, Professor," Harry said gratefully, and tried to nod, but that only made his head ache more. 

"You're welcome, Harry," smiled Dumbledore, standing at the door. A moment later, his smile was gone, and he hurried outside.

"Yeh know, Harry, yeh really should wear that talisman I sent – it might help yeh," said Hagrid pensively.

"What talisman? Oh, the pendant you gave me, sure, I'll put it on when I'll be in my dormitory," said Harry.

Sure enough, upon coming to the common room some time later, he pulled out his trunk and found the silver chain. The green stone twinkled lightly as he took it out and put it on himself. He didn't think that this talisman, or whatever it was, could help him in any way, but there was no harm in putting it on. 

He stayed in the common room all that day, resting at first, and doing Potions homework later (He had to work hard in order to stay in Snape's classes, but he was doing fine up to now). As the evening drew closer, he became hungry, and went down to the Great Hall to have a dinner. The school looked very empty as he walked down the stairs, which made him wonder if anything has happened. He entered the Hall with a preoccupied feeling, and was shocked at the sight that met his eyes.  

A\N: That's enough, don't you think?? Naaahhh, I'm not leaving you with a cliffie, keep reading:

Everybody in the hall was quiet, and there were a few students crying. A few people turned to look at Harry as he went over to the Gryffindor table, and some of them were whispering with their friends. Harry hurried to find Ron and Hermione, who were sitting at the far end of the table with Ginny. All of them looked subdued, especially Ron and Ginny.

"What happened?" he asked, becoming worried.

"The Death Eaters attacked the Ministry of Magic," whispered Hermione. "There are about twenty casualties, and many others were injured."

"Who…" Harry didn't finish the question. Ron raised his head. "Percy is hurt," he said in a hoarse voice. "He's in St. Mungo's now, Mom sent an owl – they're with him."

"I… I'm sorry," said Harry quietly, unsure what he was supposed to say. Percy hasn't been a part of the Weasley family for over a year now – _but what does it matter now? Percy could have been one of those who died, and so could…_

"Ron, is your Dad okay?" asked Harry suddenly.

"He's fine – he was in his office when it happened, they didn't get there," Ron answered. "Ginny, come on, we should get ready," he said to his sister. She stood up quietly, and both of them turned to leave.

"Why…?" Harry looked at Hermione questioningly.

"The students whose relatives were wounded or… or killed," she swallowed, "are allowed to visit them, or to…" she broke off. Harry patted her on the shoulder, trying to comfort her, and she finished her sentence. "To attend the funerals." Hermione's eyes were filled with tears, and Harry hugged her awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say. Looking around the hall, he could see many students doing the same. Cho Chang was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, consoling her friend, Marietta Edgecombe, who was shaking and sobbing hysterically. 

Most of the students stayed in the Great Hall for a long time that evening. A special edition of the Daily Prophet was delivered to those who had a subscription. The first page was black, and a picture of a big candle was glowing on it. Around it were written the names of the twenty-one victims of the attack, and photographs of a few of them were attached. It turned out that Marietta's mother, Laura, was killed in the attack. Harry glanced at the place where she's been sitting, but she was already gone, and Cho was sitting there alone, wiping her own tears. Harry's gaze flickered towards the Slytherin table, and a shiver went down his spine. Single students were sitting there, looking sad, but most of the house was gone. _Probably having a party,_ thought Harry angrily. He turned away, unable to think about the Slytherins any longer. Nearby, at the Hufflepuff table, Susan Bones was saying goodbye to her friends, trying to sound as cheerful as she could. According to the Prophet, her aunt, Amelia Bones, was injured badly, and Harry guessed that she was going to see her. 

That night, Harry couldn't fall asleep. Lying in his bed, staring at Ron's empty four-poster, he kept hearing those ruthless words he had heard earlier that day – _"Kill them… Kill them… Kill them…"_ All the bad memories of his life were running through his head – Cedric, dead at the graveyard; Voldemort, rising from that cauldron; Sirius, falling through the veil… Flashes of green light, and a terrible, inhuman laughter, over and over again… 

A\N: Now it's really over, the only thing left is for you to review. And remember – the more reviews I get, the less time you will have to wait for the next chapter. 


	17. Halloween

A\N: That was much better – we passed the '150 reviews' barrier. Thanks to all of you – **Chiliz (**If it wasn't for you and your death threats, I wouldn't have this written by now**), Lion of Gryffindor, Hermione @ Heart, tez, rainbowlite606, Carmel March, Angelfirenze, boing_bang_keplunk, Ainariel-Helyanwe, Rathien1, Chrissy, Tei'la, Lady Jellybean, Tex, Lynette, StarRuby, PrincessSkywalkerOrgana, Anita Coffee.**

**_Cliffhanger warning:_**This chapter ends in a cliffhanger, which will make you wanna kill me, I think. So if you have a weak heart and short nerves – wait until I add another chapter. Also, I'm not sure how soon I'll be able to update, I have a busy week coming. I'm really sorry for that, and I'll try to do it ASAP. 

Chapter 17: Halloween

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Two weeks passed, and the attack was almost forgotten. With the obvious exception of those whose friends or family were hurt, the other students have returned to their ordinary lives – as much as life could be ordinary in Hogwarts. Ron and Ginny had returned quickly, telling the others that Percy was now perfectly fine, and that he had made up with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. As much as Harry was happy for Ron, he couldn't help but wonder whether Percy could really be trusted, but he kept his suspicions to himself. In the meantime, he had a lot of things to keep him busy. Although he was taking only five subjects, he had lots of work to do, and spent most of his free time in the library. All of his teachers were giving him great amounts of homework. Professors McGonagall and Sprout were giving them essays to write – most of them longer than five feet, which was much longer than they were used to. Professor Flitwick made them research ways of making new spells, based on their previous knowledge, but also continued to teach them useful charms. All of that together was a huge strain, which Harry had to deal with. _And that is before I start thinking about Potions,_ he told himself one day, sitting in the library, looking for hexes for the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, thinking about the pile of homework he had to do. Potions has always been Harry's worst subject (Except, perhaps, Divination), but this year he had more reasons than ever to succeed in it. Which is why he was trying as hard as he could not to give Snape a reason to complain about him. It wasn't easy at all, due to the fact that Snape was a master in finding causes to punish Harry, but until now, Harry manage to survive the lessons more or less successfully, and he was putting most of his efforts in the Potions homework, more than in any other subject. 

But homework wasn't the only stressful thing in Harry's life. He also had Quidditch to think about, and was spending long hours on practicing with the team and devising new game tactics. True, he had excellent players, but Harry knew that the Slytherin team (he first against which they would have to play) was very strong, and that he needed more than excellent players if he wanted to win the game, and the cup. 

One evening, in the middle of October, Harry and Ron returned to the common room after a particularly tiring Quidditch practice, which included a Bludger hitting Jerry Trest and breaking his finger. Harry had to endure a long speech from Madam Pomfrey, about the dangers of playing Quidditch and the needed precautions (The first of which was – "Never Play Quidditch!"), before she released him and started taking care of Jerry's finger. 

When they finally got to the common room, the first thing they saw was a notice about a trip to Hogsmeade, scheduled for the morning of Halloween, just before the feast. 

"Oooh, that's good – I need some new quills, my old one is completely battered," said Ron, who had his quill back since his second year in Hogwarts.

"I don't understand it…" said Hermione, joining Harry and Ron, who were now sitting close to the fire, warming up. "How can they let us go to Hogsmeade when Voldemort is around and attacking?"

"Don't be such a spoilsport!" said Ron.

Harry frowned. "There must be some sort of protection there – otherwise they really wouldn't do it… I don't think Dumbledore is reckless enough to let five hundred* students wander freely in Hogsmeade, if it's unguarded."

"I guess you are right," said Hermione, dropping the subject.

~*~*~*~

The morning of October 31st was bright and shiny – a perfect weather for going to the village. On their way to the front doors, Harry, Ron and Hermione met Neville, who was looking a bit gloomy.

"What happened? Aren't you coming?" asked Harry.

"No…" Neville answered. "I have to do that essay for Herbology, it's due for tomorrow, and I haven't even started yet. Besides, I don't have much to do in Hogsmeade anyway."

"Well, if you're sure…" said Harry.

After buying a new quill for Ron, they went, as usual, to the Three Broomsticks. They spent some time sitting there and drinking Butterbeer, watching the people around them. Harry kept having a feeling that someone was watching them as well, but the place was so packed that it was not surprising. As they were leaving the inn, he looked around, and then saw that he was right – someone was indeed watching them.

"D'you know who was in there?" he asked his friends, who didn't notice anything.

"Half of the school, why?" replied Ron.

"No, someone specific – try to guess," Harry said, now smiling. 

"No idea," Ron shrugged. Hermione looked at Harry interestedly. 

"There was this witch in the corner that looked very much like Tonks," said Harry. "I can swear that it was her, even though she had long black hair, and eyes in different colours."

"Really? Let's go back then, talk to her, see what's going on," suggested Ron. 

"She probably doesn't want to be seen, if she's in disguise," said Hermione wisely.

"Why do you always have to be so logical?" asked Ron, sighing dramatically. Just then, something happened. 

"Ouch!"

"What happened?" Ron and Hermione said together.

"I felt like something hit me on the shoulder," said Harry, massaging his shoulder. "But I can't see anything." He turned around. There were people walking down the street, but he couldn't see anyone close enough to them to hit him. 

"Maybe Malfoy now has an Invisibility Cloak and it was him," Ron made another suggestion.

"Maybe, but I think that in that case he'd do something more sophisticated than hitting me on the shoulder," frowned Harry. 

"Are you sure you didn't imagine it?" asked Hermione tentatively.

"I don't think so… Maybe Voldemort has found a way of making random parts of my body hurt at times," grinned Harry. Hermione smiled, while Ron was trying to ignore hearing Voldemort's name. 

They visited Honeydukes and filled their sweets supplies, and finally, after seeing some of the Weasley Wizard Wheezes products in Zonko's joke-shop, headed back to the school. 

The Halloween feast that night was as magnificent as ever. Large pumpkins were floating in the air, emitting sounds here and there, trying to fall on the students that passed beneath them (The spell seemed to prevent any actual harm – none of the pumpkins hit anyone, as far as Harry could see). Dumbledore was wearing a bright orange hat, reminding Harry of Ron's bedroom, which was covered in posters of the Chudley Cannons. The food was delicious, and Harry and Ron were among the last students to leave the hall, as they were trying to eat a bit of everything. Hermione sat with them all that time, reading a small book. Harry couldn't see its full title, but he was pretty sure that he could see the words 'House Elves' in it. 

"I can't move," groaned Ron, climbing the stairs on the way to the Gryffindor tower.

"Not surprising, considering the amount of food you ate down there," replied Hermione. "Oh, Harry, I forgot to tell you – they changed the password – it's _Candle-light_."

"Candle-light," said Harry a couple of minutes later, being the first to reach the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Indeed, indeed," she smiled, and opened the pass to the room. The three of them climbed in. Hermione went to the girls' dormitories, and Harry and Ron continued to climb up to their bedroom. 

"Ron, finally!" exclaimed Neville when they entered the room. "I have something to tell you." He looked really excited.

"Wha-a-a-a-t?" yawned Ron.

"You remember that rat you had – Scabbers? The one that you thought was eaten by Hermione's cat?"

"Yes," said Ron slowly.

"I saw him today here in the common room!" said Neville.

"What?" Ron glanced at Harry. "No, Neville, you're probably wrong – Crookshanks ate him, you know… You probably saw a different rat…"

"No, it was him, I'm sure – I even saw that he had a missing toe on his paw. Actually, it looked weird – I probably imagined, but it seemed like he had a silver toe instead," said Neville excitedly. 

Ron and Harry exchanged looks. Thoughts were rushing through Harry's head – if it was Pettigrew…. But no, it couldn't be… _Why not??_ Said a voice in his head.

"Harry – the map – look at the map," Ron cried. Harry rushed to his trunk, and started to search for the Marauder's Map. "Oh, come on, where is it," he muttered. 

Finally, he found it. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," he whispered, tapping the map with his wand. Lines started appearing on the parchment, spreading from the point where he tapped it. Harry scanned the map with his eyes, and then he saw it – on the edge of the map, deep inside the Forbidden Forest, was a tiny dot, labeled _Peter Pettigrew_. Harry got up with a start, but a moment later, the name disappeared – _he was gone_…

A\N: He he he he he… I told you there would be a cliffhanger; it's your fault that you chose to read it. *Sticks tongue at you*

Now you have an excellent cause to review – it encourages me to write faster. Death threats don't do the job; so don't bother (*cough* chiliz *cough* I have a cold you see, maybe I should get a cough drop). But money can make me write it really quick, so it's up to you. *Evil grin*


	18. In Dumbledore's office

**This story is discontinued!! The first 18 chapters are here on FF.net, but I won't continue writing it.**

AN: You can be happy, I updated relatively quickly, only 5 days passed :) Only don't think I'll continue to update at that rate – I just didn't want to leave the cliffie hanging in the air :) But I'll try, I promise. Anyway, thanks to those who reviewed: **chiliz, Dakana Warrior (**You'll find an answer to your question in this chapter**), boingbangkerplunk, Carmel March, Elad 271, PrincessSkywalkerOrgana, Hedwig02135, Ainariel-Helyanwe, Lion of Gryffindor. **Thank you, and here's the next chapter!

Chapter 18: In Dumbledore's office

"Harry! Harry!" Ron was calling him. Harry snapped out of his trance.

"What happened? What did you see?"

"He was here. Wormtail was here. And – and he disappeared from the map. He must have apparated – one second he was in the middle of the forest, and then – he wasn't there anymore," Harry said, still stunned.

"But –," Ron started saying.

"Yes, I know…. _You cannot apparate or disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds_," said Harry in a perfect imitation of Hermione.

"Maybe he's dead," said Ron hopefully. "You can't show on the map once you're dead, can you?"

"Hold that thought," said Harry grimly. "Come on, we have to go see Dumbledore."

"Er… Harry –," said Neville hesitantly, "what's going on?"

"No time to explain it now, sorry," said Harry irritably. "Well tell you everything when we get back… Hurry up, Ron!"

They went quickly down to the common room, and out of the painting of the Fat Lady. Harry was clutching the Marauder's Map, feeling nervous and disturbed. As they were striding down the deserted corridors, he couldn't stop thinking about what he saw. _What was Pettigrew doing here? What did he want? How could he disappear? _Harry had no answers whatsoever to those questions. His only hope was that Dumbledore would have them – along with a nice story, which would explain logically all that happened. However, after last year's events, he wasn't sure that Dumbledore's words would ever be able to comfort him.

They reached the headmaster's office at last, and Harry stopped abruptly. "No, wait… Oh hell, we don't know the password!"

"Speak for yourself," Ron grinned widely. Seeing the bewildered look on Harry's face, he added, "Being a Prefect _has_ its advantages."

Harry smirked. "Well, what are you waiting for?!" he cried suddenly.

"Calm down," Ron looked at him, frowning. "Spinning Socks," he turned to the gargoyle guarding the entrance. The gargoyle sprang aside, and they hurried up the spiral staircase. Harry was trying to understand why this password was so familiar. Then he remembered that it was one of the twins' inventions, and despite his nervousness, smiled inwardly at Dumbledore's choices of passwords.

They reached the door with the brass knocker in the shape of a griffin, and Harry knocked hesitantly.

"Enter!" sounded Dumbledore's voice.

Dumbledore was sitting, as usual, at his desk, and with him was sitting Professor Ostir, who looked up worriedly when they entered. She then looked back at Dumbledore, and he nodded. "Yes, that's all. Don't worry, Athena. At least don't worry _now_," he said.

She stood up and swept out of the room without a sound. Harry was puzzled, but he didn't have the opportunity to wonder about her, as Prof. Dumbledore reminded him of the reason to their coming.

"So, Harry, Ron, what happened?" he asked pleasantly. Ron looked at Harry, waiting for him to explain.

"Er… Well, at first, Neville told us he had seen Scabbers, Ron's old 'rat'. And then we went to check the Marauder's Map, and I saw Pettigrew's name in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, and then he disappeared," Harry told the story.

Dumbledore's expression became serious at once. He pondered the information for a moment, and then said: "Harry, can you show me the _exact_ place where you saw him? Only if you remember it accurately – it's very important."

"I guess I remember…" said Harry uncertainly. He opened the map, and stared at it for a moment. "It was here," he pointed on the map. Dumbledore looked intently at the spot that Harry was showing him, and closed his eyes, as if preventing himself from saying something. He then went to the corner, where Fawkes the phoenix was perching. "Can you summon Severus?" he asked the bird quietly. With a small 'bang', Fawkes disappeared, and reappeared a minute later. After a while, the door to Dumbledore's office opened, and Snape walked inside. "Albus, what…" he started saying, but then he noticed Harry and Ron, and stopped, a displeased look appearing on his face.

Dumbledore beckoned him to come closer. "Harry has just seen Peter Pettigrew disapparating from this place," he showed him the map. Snape smirked. Harry felt a rush of anger – he didn't want him to see this map. Snape's eyes were fixed to the spot on the old parchment for a few seconds. "Then he found it," he said quietly, raising his head and looking directly at Dumbledore. "Which is amazing," he continued even more quietly, trying to block Harry and Ron from hearing his words, "considering his absolute lack of orientation." If Harry was puzzled before, it was nothing compared to what he felt now. He didn't have a single clue what was going on, and, judging by the look on his face, neither did Ron.

"Boys, can you have outside, please? Don't go away yet, I still want to talk to you," said Dumbledore.

"Trust him not to let us hear anything – why should _he_ tell _us_ what's going on, really…." said Harry angrily the moment he closed the door.

"We can still hear everything," grinned Ron mischievously, and moved closer to eavesdrop. Harry quickly joined him.

"This is our chance to check his trust in you, Severus," they heard Dumbledore saying, not bothering to keep his voice down at all. "Voldemort doesn't know we saw Pettigrew. If he tells you about his success, than he trusts you enough. If he doesn't – then we have a problem… Either way, we have an advantage that we should use."

Harry couldn't hear Snape, who was almost whispering. After a while, he managed to catch a few words.

"You do realize how useful that map can be to us, Albus. I told you before that it was a mistake giving it back to Potter – it was a pure coincidence that he saw Pettigrew on it." _That bastard_, Harry thought. Ron made a gesture of cutting someone's throat.

"Actually, Severus, it was _not_ a coincidence – Neville Longbottom saw Pettigrew in his animagus form and told Harry and Ron about it," Dumbledore replied. Harry stifled a laugh when he thought of Snape's face after hearing that Neville was the one who saved the day. "Besides," continued Dumbledore, "the map belongs to Remus, and he can give it to anyone he wants to."

"But we won't be able to know whether Pettigrew is here or not," snarled Snape, "and we can't risk him running around freely – it's too dangerous!"

"Sometimes I have a feeling you underestimate me, Severus," answered Dumbledore's amused voice. "_Simulotabulus_"

"Maybe you are right," answered Snape, and Harry shuddered to hear a malicious delight in his voice. _What the hell is going on there?_

"Severus… You know you shouldn't be using it for - "

"Don't worry, Albus," smirked Snape, "I will use it for good causes only." Something in his voice made Harry shiver once again. Ron nudged him, mouthing that they should move away from the door. They stepped aside not a moment too soon – immediately, Snape emerged out of the office, tucking something in his robes. _If he took the map_, thought Harry menacingly, _I don't know what I'll do…_But as they entered back, Dumbledore handed Harry the map, and he relaxed a bit. "_Mischief managed_," he muttered, tapping the map with his wand and wiping it blank.

"You are probably waiting for an explanation," said Dumbledore. Harry nodded fervently, and the Headmaster smiled.

"There is only a small part of it that I can explain – because the other part is somebody's secret, which I cannot reveal to you," he sighed. "Both of you must know that Hogwarts is protected, and that you can't apparate in." Harry nodded again, wondering where this led. "However, what you don't know is that there is a small area in the Forbidden Forest, which can be used for disapparition only in times of emergency. Voldemort found out about it, and he must have sent Pettigrew to check if it works."

Harry's jaw dropped. "So basically, Voldemort can apparate inside any time now and kill us all??"

"No. You can't _apparate _inside, only disapparate out. It is still impossible for him to come inside the school. The security measures this year are extremely high, so you have nothing to worry about."

"But if Pettigrew managed to get in…" said Ron quietly.

"It won't happen again, I can assure you," said Dumbledore seriously. "And now it's really time to go to bed – good night, boys."

Neville was waiting for them when they got back to the dormitory. "So?" he asked eagerly. Harry let Ron do the talking, getting himself ready for bed. He tried not to listen as Ron was explaining about Sirius – it was too painful to think about. He fell asleep quickly that night. In his dreams, he saw rats running in circles, chasing their tails. Then, one of the rats escaped, and tried to jump on him, at which point he woke up, not remembering anything at all. He fell asleep shortly afterwards, without any weird dreams for the rest of the night.

AN: Phew… Finally, it's over… Longer than usually, isn't it? You can go and review now, and please tell me what you think. I have one question to you – Am I writing the characters the way they are supposed to be? Comments on that aspect will be appreciated.

Love you, bye bye!

Anna.


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